Life After Life (2022) s01e01 Episode Script

1
This programme contains scenes
which some viewers may find upsetting
from the start
If I can come back again,
I'd be a baker.
Why a baker? I love cake.
I'd make constant cakes.
You could be a baker now,
after the war.
Come back, be a baker.
If you die, what's the plan for
the next life?
I can be anything I want?
Anything you want.
Can I be a man?
Absolutely. Be a man.
What sort of man?
I don't know.
Maybe I'll want to come back as me.
But I'd do things better.
If you came back, would you want
the same family?
Me as your brother? Definitely.
Pamela? Jimmy? Mm-hm.
Mum and Dad? Mm-hm. Maurice?
Enh.
THEY LAUGH
What if we could come back
and live it all over again
and again and again?
Wouldn't that be fantastic?
They're the two best words
in the English language,
when you put them together,
aren't they?
What if?
SHE GROANS
Dr Fellows should be here.
Why isn't he here? Where is he?
Your man will be stuck
in the snow, I bet.
Oh, sure dreadful wild out there.
The road will be closed.
Come here.
SHE GROANS
The other end.
GROANS INTENSIFY
Oh, ma'am, she's white,
like a ghost.
A girl? The cord's wrapped around
her neck.
Oh, Mary, mother of God,
she's been strangled.
The poor wee thing. Let me see.
We have to do something.
What can we do?
She's gone, dead before she had
a chance to love.
I'm awful, awful sorry.
She'll be a little cherub in heaven
now for sure.
I wish Mr Todd were here.
I'm awful sorry.
Shall I wake Mrs Glover?
SHE SOBS
It was snowing when Ursula died.
It was snowing when Ursula was born.
SHE GROANS
And one more push, please, Mrs Todd.
GROANS INTENSIFY
Scissors.
Scissors! Sewing scissors?
BABY CRIES
Boy or girl?
A bonny, bouncing baby girl.
Sylvie thought Dr Fellows
might be over egging it
with the alliteration.
You were lucky I got here in time.
Before the snow closed the roads,
I called for Mrs Haddock,
the midwife,
but I believe she's stuck somewhere
outside of Chalfont Saint Peter.
Mrs Haddock?
Yes, Mrs Haddock.
Is that funny?
No.
So I thought I'd better
fight the elements.
Lucky I did.
She would have died from the cord
around her neck.
Hello, little one.
For God's sake, girl,
fetch some water and towels.
Do you know nothing?
Were you raised in a field?
Baby Ursula doesn't know
this is her second life
..but already she has an instinct.
The world is a dangerous place.
Oh, for goodness' sake.
A farmer has been trampled
by a bull.
His life hangs in the balance.
You hold it in your hands.
And they call it horsepower.
Put your backs into it.
That's what comes from relying
on new-fangled machines.
There he is.
My son, George, will take you.
He'll get you there.
You're not serious.
Come on, sir.
You, help me up.
One, two, three.
DOOR OPENS
Here you are.
Maurice, Pamela, come and say hello
to your new sister.
Another girl.
Name? I shall call her Ursula.
It means little she-bear.
I wish she was a bear.
Uh!
I hear the baby nearly died.
When will Mr Todd be back?
Oh, a snowdrop.
The first flower to raise
its poor head above the ground.
How brave it is.
Sorry.
Poppa's home!
What's this sister of yours like,
any good?
No. No?
No?
Well, well, well, how is everybody?
Sorry I couldn't be here last night.
Snow.
Hello.
Will you take Ursula to Bridget
for her bath? I'm going to rest.
Ursula?
Ursula.
Ursula, hmm?
Ursula Todd.
Everything went all right?
Fingers and toes all correct?
Mother and child doing well?
You know she was born with
the cord wrapped around her neck?
I didn't know.
How are you, Mrs Glover?
There's devilled kidneys
left over from breakfast.
Can I tempt you?
You cannot.
BRIDGET COOS OVER URSULA
God surely wanted you back.
URSULA GARBLES
Uh-huh. He wanted you back.
Ursula would learn the universe
was chaos and destruction.
And she would love it anyway.
There was something reassuring
about the way it repeated itself,
something delicious
about her father's smell.
She learned rabbits
were also delicious.
The sun and spiders were gifts.
Afternoon, ladies.
Horses were immense and strange
and wonderful.
Mrs Glover loved her son.
Follow me!
People her own size could be fun.
Goo-goo-goo, stupid baby.
And Maurice himself was chaos
and destruction.
Maurice!
LOUD SLAP
Ow!
Like a hedgehog in hibernation.
Poor old thing.
Ursula entered her fifth summer
without further mishap.
Ursula! Get away from that window.
Come on,
let's go jump over the waves.
It's not ours.
Come on, let's go paddle.
SHE GASPS
What?
He's been burnt in a fire.
Mr Rochester's been burnt in a fire.
Can you believe it?
Hold on.
BABY CRIES
Dear God, dear God!
Getting hungry?
Bridget, I'm going to feed Teddy,
and then I should probably telephone
Hugh and see what time his train
BABY CRIES
And so Ursula died.
Scissors. Give me the scissors.
Sewing scissors? What's happened?
And yet she seems to have been given
the chance to live again.
BABY CRIES
The cord was wrapped around
her neck. She'll be all right.
A bonny, bouncing baby girl.
Come on, let's go paddle.
Oh, dear!
They went out a bit too far.
But they'll be fine.
Pammy, you were supposed
to be watching her. I was.
What in the name of heaven's
gone on?
Er, they went out a bit too far.
Give me Teddy, take Ursula home
and get her dry.
Don't cling so, Ursula,
you're all right.
BABY BABBLES
Come on. Why is there a wet man?
Ursula nearly drowned.
Idiot.
How can we ever thank you?
You must let us take you to tea
at some point.
Ursula had heard Bridget
retell the harrowing story
of her birth several times.
"God had wanted her back",
the Irish maid had told her.
Come on, now.
You're too old for that.
Daddy!
Oh, hello, Little Bear.
Did you have fun?
There's a surprise
for you at home, guess.
Better not be a dog.
A dog. A dog! A puppy?
We'll see. Let's go.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Glad to be back?
Glad to have us back?
WHISTLE
Are we all ready?
What does it do?
Let there be
..light!
You'll blow us all up!
I don't like this at all.
Who wants to try next?
Yes, come on, Little Bear.
I hear you survived
some very big waves,
you're brave enough.
She'll blow up.
Oh!
Wow!
A dog would have been more useful.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
BABY GURGLES
Shh, shh, shh.
Best one yet.
Yes. I think we should keep him.
Hmm!
Your holiday was jolly
and everything?
Ursula should take swimming lessons.
Clearly, she's not a natural.
And she gets so anxious
about everything.
I worry about her.
She's fine.
BONES CLICK
SYLVIE SIGHS HEAVILY
HUGH EXHALES
This is marriage.
Yes, this is marriage.
DOOR CLOSES
What's wrong?
I keep dreaming that I'm drowning
Mm?
..and I'm dead.
You're not dead.
It's a beautiful, sunny day.
Go and run around outside.
What if I fall and hit my head?
What if I die?
Ursula,
you must avoid dark thoughts
at all costs, do you understand?
When you think them, just
..shake your head.
Hmm.
Now, get some fresh air
and run around. Now.
It was only in dreams
that life was frightening.
The days were perfectly lovely.
Some were more than that.
Some were beautiful.
Ursula resolved to enjoy life.
There was so much life to enjoy.
With the exception of Mrs Glover's
sandwiches, obviously.
HORSE NEIGHS
BRIDGET SCREAMS
What's the matter with you, Bridget?
A frog!
MAURICE LAUGHS
Maurice!
What?!
I'm going to feed the baby.
BABY GURGLES
EXHALES DEEPLY
HORSE APPROACHES
CROW CAWS
SYLVIE SIGHS DEEPLY
GASPING AND MOANING
HUGH SIGHS HAPPILY
You're very
..lively.
Must be all that fresh air.
Oh, it's going to be
a tremendous storm.
I can feel it.
THUNDER
Doesn't he look handsome?
Very.
He was one of the first to sign up.
War?!
You're going to war?!
I don't want to look back years
from now and know that I missed it,
and I don't want to look back
and know that others
stepped forward for their
country's honour and I did not.
It's the only adventure
I might ever have.
Adventure? And what about your
children? What about your wife?!
It's for you that I'm doing this.
To protect hearth and home -
to defend everything I believe in.
And yet I heard the word adventure.
DOOR SLAMS
He's quite right, you know.
Shut up, Maurice!
Her father seldom raised his voice.
Something terrible
must have happened.
But the night before he left,
her father seemed to have made
everything all right again
Dance under the stars.
..as he always did.
HE HUMS: Mm-hm-hm, hm-mm.
What would it be like without him?
Mm-hm-hm, hm-mm.
Thank you.
Mm-hm-hm, hm-mm, hm-mm.
MAURICE IMITATES GUNSHOTS
Maurice, stop!
All right, stop walking,
stop walking.
What a fine family I have.
Fine, fine family.
Don't be frightened. Not now.
But he was frightened.
Everyone spent an inordinate
amount of time knitting.
It was the coldest winter on record
and the soldiers on the front
were freezing.
Sylvie hadn't heard from Hugh
in months.
She didn't tell the children.
She spent more money than usual
at Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
She told Ursula that the doll
was a present from Daddy.
Let's see.
Shall we be friends?
Gertrude, come back!
Just as Sylvie had hoped,
the creation of Chicken Corner
was an excellent way
to distract her children
from the newspaper headlines.
Ursula wrote to Hugh,
describing the wonder of warm eggs.
He didn't write back.
But Sylvie explained,
he was awfully busy.
It's snowing!
THEY LAUGH
Get out of our room!
"Get out of our room!"
Maurice was home from boarding
school, recovering from chickenpox
and making everyone's life
miserable.
Get out!
I'm going to your room now, and
there I shall destroy something!
Neeeaaaow!
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
She would never have reached
for that odd little doll
if Sylvie hadn't lied and told her
it was from her daddy.
I hear the baby nearly died.
And I must stay the rest of
the night on account of the snow.
Neeeaaaow!
Dsssssh!
Come and get your tea!
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Get back from that window, Ursula,
for the love of God!
As for you, Maurice,
you're little more than a savage.
I am a savage. I'm an Apache.
This time around,
she trusted her instincts.
She avoided water and windows
..and Maurice.
..two, three, four.
She missed her father.
He'd been gone for so long.
CHICKEN SQUAWKS
EXPLOSIONS
Ursula.
SHE GASPS
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
This isn't one
of our chickens, is it?
No, darling, it isn't.
Your father sends his love.
How's the war?
I have no idea. Your father
just talks about the weather.
I miss Daddy.
Me, too.
Now eat your chicken.
This is one of our chickens,
isn't it?
It's Henrietta.
Wishbone.
Come on, let's make your dreams
come true. Not my dreams.
I can't cut it. Here, silly.
Baby Teddy was his mother's
favourite, but nobody minded.
Everybody loved him.
Even Maurice.
On the morning of Teddy's
fourth birthday,
the war to end all wars ended.
I'm going to be a pilot. Neeeeaow!
The family was crackling
with excitement.
When would Hugh be home?
Mrs Glover was delighted
to have her son home.
Sadly, he'd lost the use of his legs
and his mind
..during a sneak attack on a German
trench 30 days before the ceasefire.
Bridget had bought a new hat
to celebrate a new world.
Her fiance, Clarence,
had also survived.
He had written to her
from a field hospital
to say she was under no obligation
to stick with him.
She'd written back to say
she wasn't the sort
to renege on a promise.
Train's leaving soon.
Let's not miss it.
Sure now you don't want to come
with us, Mrs Glover?
I bet there'll be some
high jinks to be had.
I'm avoiding crowds.
My nephew dropped dead
of the influenza in the street.
Not even in his own bed,
in the street.
You mustn't be scared of
the influenza, Bridget.
Four years of war, I think the
peace deserves a trip to London
and a bit of a knees-up. He was
perfectly healthy at breakfast.
Dead by noon. Who was? Her nephew.
Life must go on.
Have a wonderful time, Bridget.
Hasn't there been enough suffering?
Let's go.
DOOR CLOSES
Hi. We saw the King!
No! Stop. The King.
Right in front of us.
She saw the King.
There was a sea of people,
everyone shouting themselves hoarse
for the King.
"We want the King!
We want the King!"
Who wants cocoa? Me. Me.
I got swept up.
I lost my hat. Goodness.
I think I'll say good night.
So soon?
A bit of a headache.
Goodnight. Bye. Bye.
Come on, then, tell us everything.
Well
Thank you for coming.
You suspect the influenza?
She was down in London yesterday?
Yes, for the Armistice Day
celebrations. Crowds everywhere.
Perfect conditions for the virus
to spread.
Who feels unwell?
Bridget and now Ursula.
Get out, Pamela.
Sh.
ETHEREAL MUSIC
DOOR CLOSES
Did you have a nice time?
There was a sea of people.
They were everywhere.
Everybody was shouting, "We want
the King! We want the King!"
Ursula was very curious to learn
whether or not Bridget
had actually met the King.
But instinct took her back to bed.
Where's Bridget?
She says she feels ill.
Hardly surprising. I dread to think
what time she staggered in.
I really don't think Bridget is
well, Mrs Glover. Too much drink.
I think we should call
Dr Fellows out. For Bridget?
The girl's as healthy as a horse.
Dr Fellows will give you
short shrift when he smells
the alcohol on her.
Mrs Glover, I really do think
Bridget is ill.
Can you see to the children?
I will telephone the doctor.
Aren't the children going to school?
Oh, yes, of course they are.
Though perhaps not.
No Yes, they are.
Or should they?
I think keep them home for today.
Crowded school rooms and so on.
But keep them down here just now.
Handwriting, sums.
Where's Teddy?
Teddy?
There's cake downstairs.
Teddy!
I thought I might make
Bridget feel better.
I think Bridget is asleep
but her eyes are open.
Get off the bed, Teddy.
Dear God!
Go to your room.
No, go to Teddy's room.
No, both of you go to my room.
Go now!
Did you say cake?
Teddy's skin is the same colour
as Bridget's.
Heliotrope cyanosis.
See those mahogany spots
on his cheeks?
This is the more virulent strain,
I'm afraid.
Stop it. Please, stop.
Do not lecture me like a medical
student. I am their mother.
And again.
There must be something I can do.
You can pray.
Pray?
Was there more Ursula could have
done to save him, she wondered?
Sylvie did not believe in God
but she prayed that night
with desperate conviction.
And no faith.
Teddy was gone by nightfall.
Ursula knew the moment he had died.
She felt it inside her.
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
There was a silly note
left on the door last night.
Bridget was locked out.
You know, it looks just like
your handwriting, Ursula.
I don't suppose you can
explain that?
No, I can't.
I've sent Pamela
to fetch Bridget home.
You sent Pamela?
Yes, Pamela.
Pamela's with Bridget?
Yes. What's the matter with you?
Ursula, you really are
such an anxious child.
I'm starting to wonder if we
should take you to a doctor.
Argh!
Aargh.
Aaaargh!
All Ursula knew
was that she had to do it.
She felt a surge of victory.
I'm coming!
Caught you.
Got you.
The world was indeed
a dangerous place.
LAUGHTER
But she was not powerless.
Quite the opposite.
Children, get in here now!
Someone pushed me.
Who?
Teddy?
Pamela? Me?
It was beyond doubt, thought Sylvie.
There was something wrong
with Ursula.
SHE PANTS
Hello, Little Bear.
Teddy.
Teddy, it's all right.
It's Daddy.
This is Daddy.
Hello Hello, little man.
Can I give you a hug?
We have chickens.
THEY LAUGH
Teddy was her mother's favourite.
But she was her father's.
She'd forgotten that.
She had also forgotten
the smell of him
and the way she felt in his arms.
This was love, thought Ursula.
It would be worth dying for.
Don't you wonder sometimes,
if just one small thing
had been changed in the past,
surely things would be different.
I keep thinking I'll wake up
and it was all a dream.
That we're not trapped
in this endless nightmare.
Oh, chin up. It won't last forever.
Nothing does.
I wish I could go instead of you.
I really do. It isn't fair.
This is me.
You should leave me here.
Be as safe as you can.
Will do.
Fly very carefully.
Try not to die.
Do my best.
Teddy!
# Oooo-ooooh
# Again
Ooooo-ooooh
# This couldn't happen again
Ooo-ooh, ooo-oh, ooooh
# This is that once in a lifetime
# This is the thrill divine
# Ooo-ooh, ooo-oh, ooo-oooh
# What's more
# This never happened before #