Trese (2021) s01e01 Episode Script

[vehicles honking in distance]
[train rumbling]
[whooshes]
- [electricity crackles]
- [metal clanking]
[screeches]
[steam hisses]
[screen buzzes]
[door clanks]
[sighs]
[man 1] Third break down this month.
- [woman 1] Let's just walk back
- [woman 2] Hi, sorry, Min.
Not the best way to spend your birthday.
It's fine.
I'd rather be home
watching my dramas anyway.
Hey, shouldn't we go with the crowd?
Look, there's someone up ahead.
[eerie music]
[growling]
[shudders]
[gasps]
[soft growling]
[tense music]
[shrieks]
- [growls]
- [terrified screams]
[tense theme music]
[Alexandra] Manila, she'll welcome you
with smiles as warm as the sun.
[ominous music]
When the sun sets,
take a turn down a dark alley
and you might find yourself as prey.
Kidnappers and thieves
are the least of your worries.
Beware the ones that crave your blood
and covet your soul.
They can't be bound by handcuffs.
My father used to say,
"Leave the shadows be.
Light will be there
to maintain the balance."
Night has taken this city.
The shadows have grown darker.
The treaty that has kept the humans safe
from the supernatural Underworld
has begun to unravel.
Good people keep trying to fight back,
but the dark forces are getting stronger.
There is no light
to keep the shadows in check.
There is only me.
[tense music]
[indistinct murmuring]
[footsteps]
Good evening, Captain Guerrero.
Hello, Alexandra. Thanks for coming down.
I had a feeling
you might want to see this.
I admit, I was curious
when you described the circumstances.
So, is it
[Alexandra]
The White Lady of Balete Drive.
Any witnesses, Lt. Tapia?
[Tapia] No, ma'am.
But one of the neighbors positively
ID'd the victim as "Gina Santos."
[Tapia] We checked it, and it turns out
she committed suicide in
- [paper rustles]
- "1995."
Wait, that can't be right.
Ancient runes crudely done.
- [Alexandra] Clearly ritual sacrifice.
- [scrapes]
The bigger question is,
who would want to kill a ghost and why?
[gasps]
[screams]
[ominous music]
[Miranda] Death is nothing
to be afraid of, Alexandra.
It is not an end, but a rebirth
to another plane of existence.
[rasps]
There was a time when magic in the world
was a natural part of life.
That age has passed.
People fear what they don't understand.
That's why our family has always been
the bridge between mankind
and the supernatural.
Your father might be the lakan
and protector of the accords,
but I know a few things.
- When a soul gets lost
- [gentle music]
we, babaylan, have the power to help.
[ominous music]
[flapping]
[hoots]
[flapping]
[crowd murmuring]
[groaning]
[screams]
[groaning]
[ominous music]
[Guerrero] Tapia, get SOCO to gather
the evidence before it blows away.
- [plastic crinkles]
- [Tapia] Yes, Cap!
What?
You just reminded me of your father
for a moment.
Anton was usually the only one
with a clue in a case like this.
But now that he's gone
well, now we have you, Alexandra.
There are a few places
to acquire magic this strong.
But I know where to start looking.
I have friends in low places.
[insects chirping]
[in Filipino]
Tabi-tabi po.
[earth rumbles]
[in English]
I need to see your master.
I have some questions for him.
- [metal clanks]
- [Nuno] Psst!
Down, boy. She's on the level.
Greetings, young Trese.
Good evening, Nuno.
I can always count on you for the dirt.
Nuno sees nothing and hears nothing.
- [Nuno] I just
- [paper rips]
[gasps]
[gasps]
What do you know about the White Lady?
Okay, okay.
Last week, she was crowing
about how her lover
was going to make her a queen
if she helped close a deal
with an aswang clan.
[Nuno] Then I hear whispers in the tunnels
that somebody put a hit out on her.
Aswang?
What did they want with her?
[Nuno] If you want a seat at their table,
the buy-in is a sacrifice.
That dizzy dame thought
she was going to be a player.
[giggles]
But she ended up as the chips.
I need to find out which clan
made the pact, and then with whom.
Oh, you'll know the crew
from the poison they used.
For a bite of that,
I could tell you what it is.
[munching]
- [Alexandra] Well?
- [exclaims]
Ground mermaid bones.
Surefire way to trap a ghost
in the earthly plane and kill it.
[Nuno] The aswang pack
that controls the pier
are the only ones who have it.
But you didn't hear that from me.
[chuckles]
Nobody likes a snitch.
A pleasure doing business
with you, as always.
[dramatic music]
- [phone beeps]
- Boys, time to go hunting.
[dramatic music continues]
[hard thumping]
[snarls]
- [groans]
- [boxes clatter]
[aswang 1] Hey! No humans allowed.
Your kind is not welcome here.
[flesh pierces]
[thuds]
[ominous music]
- [objects clatter]
- [aswang 2] Hey!
The only way you can get in
[groans, thuds]
Greetings, Ibwa, Chief of the Sapa Clan.
I am Alexandra Trese.
[laughs]
The aswang clan signed
the accords with my father,
and you are bound by those rules
to cooperate with my investigation
or face the consequences.
[in Filipino]
This son of a bitch.
[in English]
You come to my turf, and threaten me?
Only I make the rules around here, bitch.
- End her!
- [growls]
- [grunting]
- [growling]
- [grunts]
- [thwacks]
- [both grunting]
- [thudding]
- [thumps]
- [groans]
[thwacks]
[growling]
- [grunts]
- [thwacks]
- [knife clanks]
- [Trese] Ha!
[Alexandra] Tell them to go away
or I swear you'll have taken
your last breath.
[hisses]
Do what she says.
- [aswang 3] We'll be right outside.
- [aswang 4] Yes, Chief.
Who did you give the mermaid bones to?
[Ibwa] Screw you.
- [thumps]
- [groans]
The accords dictate
that I should give you a warning
for obstructing an investigation.
No.
[groaning]
- [suspenseful music]
- [Ibwa groaning]
Consider yourself warned.
[flesh pierces]
[Ibwa screaming]
Is that an aswang eye?
That's pretty badass.
I need the water in the glass, please.
Thirsty, bossing?
I want to see what kind of creature
of darkness we're dealing with here.
[water pouring]
[in Filipino]
Sa mata ng iba, mga lihim magpapakita.
[suspenseful music]
[in English]
Are you calling
that fire monster again, Mama?
[Miranda] His face can be a little scary,
but he is not a monster.
He is the Great Spirit
of the Binondo Fire,
and we must show him respect.
Remember what your papa
and I always tell you.
- You need to
- You need to see beyond the outside.
[light snicker]
Correct.
All of us must see beyond
to live in balance.
Give me your hand.
[scraping]
[match ignites]
[phone ringing]
[phone beeps]
Anton, how was the council meeting?
[exhales]
[Miranda] I knew they would side with you.
Now stay in the city. We're fine.
- We'll see you later
- [line static]
Hello?
- [indistinct murmur]
- [wind blows]
[ominous music]
My love, it's time to play
that game I taught you, okay?
[Miranda] Remember where Papa and I
showed you how to hide?
I want you to go there
and don't come out until I call.
Okay, Mama.
[in Filipino]
Maria Makiling, diwata ng bundok,
pagpalain niyo kami.
[in English]
Stay as quiet as you can
and keep Sinag close.
[Miranda] Whatever happens,
remember to see beyond the outside.
I love you, my darling.
So very much.
Now, go.
[dramatic music]
[grass rustling]
[phone ringing]
[beeps]
Hello, Captain Guerrero.
[Mayor Santamaria] Crimes like these
cannot wait for due process.
I promise to find
and punish the guilty myself.
- This is why the people elected me.
- No rest for the wicked, Captain.
Tell me about it.
We may need you on this one, too.
Doesn't help that I got a circus
trampling on my crime scene.
and why they will do so again!
[all] Yeah!
[crowd cheering, clapping]
Mayor Santamaria's office got wind of it.
And now, he wants to take over.
God, I love election time.
[camera shutters clicking]
He might be trying to cover
something up rather than solve it.
[Guerrero] Mayor Santamaria isn't someone
you can go up against, Alexandra.
He's got backers rich enough
to keep him in office
and powerful enough
to make his critics disappear.
Gina Santos,
the White Lady of Balete Drive,
was his mistress when she killed herself.
He sacrificed her ghost
to gain favor with the aswang.
If he's aligning with them,
I need to know why.
[tense music]
[PR] Vote for Mayor Santamaria.
Reelect a man who cares for the people.
[fan thuds on floor]
[Basilio] Hoy!
[groaning]
Do I know you?
We have a mutual acquaintance.
Ibwa tells me you took
some mermaid bones from him.
He runs a bad crew, Mr. Mayor.
You're better off coming clean
for the murder of Gina Santos
than dealing with them.
What a wild imagination you have
for such a pretty face.
But if you're going to accuse me
of something that serious,
you'd better have proof.
- [both groaning]
- [thuds]
I have important work to do
for my constituents.
I don't have time for fairy tales
of aswang and mermaids.
I never said anything
about aswang, Mr. Mayor.
[foreboding music]
[eerie music]
[eerie whispers]
[eerie whispers continue]
[whimpers]
Apparently, the train broke down
over the Guadalupe Bridge.
Service crew found it like this,
lots of blood, no bodies,
and a pile of missing persons reports.
Do you smell something burning?
[sniffs]
No.
There was a fire
at the squatters area nearby.
But that was two nights ago.
We're still trying
to locate those residents.
They seem to have vanished.
I see.
Will you excuse me, Captain?
I would like the car to myself, please.
- [line dialing]
- [fire roars]
[growls]
Good evening, little Trese.
What game shall we play today?
Greetings, Great Santelmo.
I'm afraid this is business,
and I need your help
to uncover what happened.
Well, you're no fun.
The souls who were killed
in this car are here,
yet, they are not, and they are not alone.
I sense spirits on fire.
[Santelmo] People who had burned
to death in their sleep.
They, too, are making the journey.
How can the souls be here
and yet not be here?
We are standing in two trains right now.
[Santelmo] One for the living
And the other for the dead.
Thank you, Santelmo.
May the great light shone upon you.
[fire roars]
[in Filipino]
Mga kaluluwa, saan kayo papunta?
Ako'y makikiraan,
kaya pakibuksan ang pintuan.
[voices humming]
[eerie music]
[in English]
Ibu, Goddess of Death,
sends her greetings to you
[in Filipino]
Lakan of humanity.
[in English]
Emissary, since when does Ibu use the MR
to ferry the souls of the dead?
The train follows the original pathways.
[Emissary]
The most efficient way to the Afterworld.
It wasn't in the original agreement
with your father,
but she formally asks that you,
as the current lakan
and enforcer of the accords,
consider her request to use it.
I will allow it, but in return,
I need a favor.
Tell me where
those three girls died and how.
They were hunted down
by a clan of aswang on these tracks.
[gasps]
- [growls]
- [screams]
Taken to the tribe's lair,
where they met their demise
and their souls found
their way back to Ibu's train.
They were not the only ones.
Show me where they were killed.
- As you wish.
- [flapping]
- [tires screech]
- [engine shuts off]
- [Alexandra] Wait for my signal.
- [car door opens, closes]
[Crispin] You got it, bossing.
We'll be ready when you need us.
- [flapping]
- [door closes]
[match ignites]
[crackles]
[suspenseful music]
[rasps]
[suspenseful music continues]
- [whimpering]
- [metal clanking]
Please help me.
They took my daughter.
[child whimpers]
- [slurps]
- [whimpering continues]
Mark the soul as ours
before it flies away.
Or Xa-Mul will kill us.
The souls are worth more than the meat.
[aswang 5] Hold still, you brat!
[flesh pierces]
[whooshes]
- [slashes]
- [thuds]
It's all right. You're safe now.
[Xa-mul] Trese!
[door opens]
I know you're in there with our food.
I could smell your stench
from a mile away.
[rope rips]
Stay close.
[Xa-mul] Don't be rude.
Come out and join the party.
[aswang 6] Trese!
- [growling]
- [indistinct murmurs]
It's not a party when your guests
are here against their will, Xa-Mul.
- The accords
- Don't apply here.
Not after what you did to Ibwa.
[scoffs]
Those humans were a payment
and ours to do with as we please.
Take the girl!
If the lakan gets in the way
kill her.
[chanting]
[eerie chanting]
[chanting continues]
- [slashes]
- [shrieks]
- [blood splatters]
- [groaning]
[growling]
[slashing]
- [child shrieks]
- [flesh pierces]
- [whooshes]
- [splatters, hisses]
Kill her.
- [grunting]
- [flesh pierces]
[screams]
[Xa-mul] Walk away, Trese.
And maybe I'll let this offense slide.
[loud explosion]
[gunshots]
[Basilio] It was Kuya Crispin,
who disobeyed your order to wait.
[Crispin] Couldn't let you have
all the fun this time, bossing.
It's okay.
[gasps]
[Crispin] Oh, and we freed
the people in the back.
Cover me.
[gunshots]
[growling]
[slashes]
- [grunting]
- [flesh pierces]
[yelling]
[both grunting]
[grunts]
- [slashes]
- [groans]
[flesh rips]
[whimpers]
[ominous music]
[gasps]
[in Filipino]
Mother!
My baby.
[in English]
Thank you. You saved my baby.
Can you tell us what happened?
A group of us had survived the fire
in Guadalupe but lost everything.
[fire roars]
[mother] Mayor Santamaria's men came
and offered to pay for our relocation.
They had been trying to get us
to move even before the fire.
[man 2] We all knew he was making
a deal to build condos,
so we wanted to hold out
for a better price.
But now,
- there was no choice.
- [metal gate closes]
At first, it was good.
[man 3] We had a clean place
to stay and they fed us.
The mayor himself came and promised
that he would take care of everything.
Then, night fell.
- [scribbles]
- The aswang.
- [man 4] They came for us while we slept.
- [screams]
They dragged us away and kept us in cages.
And we weren't the only ones.
Every day, they brought groups of people.
Like us, they were taken
in the dark of night
where nobody would miss us.
From broken down trains
to squatters area set on fire,
all of us powerless
to do anything but wait.
We could hear the feasting
and screams through the walls.
- [munching]
- [screams]
I saw the Mayor in the kitchen
talking to the aswang.
[woman 3] Renegotiating their deal.
He promised he would cover up
their train raid
and burn more settlements
for their food supply.
We called out to him for help,
but he ignored us.
Once he got what he wanted,
we were nothing to him.
Ah, we may not be able
to arrest Mayor Santamaria
for making deals with the aswang,
but we got him
on human trafficking, arson,
and the murder of his mistress,
Gina Santos.
You okay?
There are monsters among us,
and some of them human.
I should have gotten there
sooner to save the others.
But look at all the people you saved.
[dramatic music]
[Anton] Alexandra.
[echoes]
[loud whoosh]
[foreboding music]
[Anton] Alexandra?
Alexandra.
[grass rustling]
It's all right, little one.
You're safe with Papa.
[dramatic music]
Those aswang scum will pay for this.
Mama.
[loud whoosh]
[gasps, panting]
[tires screech]
[gentle music]
Rough night, huh, bossing?
No more than usual, Hank.
Mayor Sancho Santamaria
was arrested this morning
on several dozen counts
of murder and corruption
connected with the fire at Guadalupe.
[reporter] According to our sources,
there is also new evidence
linking the Mayor
to the death of his alleged mistress,
Gina Santos.
What was reported as a suicide
is now believed to be a murder.
[foreboding music]
What is it?
I bring a peace offering
from Ibu for your arsenal.
She hopes the lakan
has forgiven her mistake.
The Goddess of Death hardly needs
to worry about offending anyone.
When the sixth child of the sixth child
takes her rightful place
as ruler of the Underworld,
as was foretold by the prophecy,
the Court of Death would like
to be in her good graces.
That's not me.
But you may tell Ibu that we are good.
For now.
[somber music]
[Alexandra panting]
[light splash]
[ringing]
Yes. Captain? I'm here.
[slams]
Sometimes at night ♪
I toss and turn ♪
Did I make a mistake? ♪
Regret fills me up inside ♪
I won't waste ♪
The legacy you passed on to me ♪
Be careful ♪
What you promise ♪
I fear no one ♪
When I feel you next to me ♪