The Doll Factory (2023) s01e03 Episode Script

1
GIDEON: Gideon Fletcher.
I'm in need of a new dissection partner.
- SILAS: I'll be there.
- GIDEON: Good.
IRIS: I've had an offer.
I'm going to do it if
he agrees to teach me.
ROSE: A model is no
better than a prostitute.
MRS. SALTER: You set
foot outside that door,
you're never coming back.
LOUIS: The Imprisonment
of Guigemar's Queen.
FILIGREE [OOV]: I think
both pieces will do well
in the zoological section.
SILAS: The best day. The best.
SILAS: We are friends.
ROSE: She's all yours, Mr. Frost.
ROSSETTI: To Iris Whittle.
SILAS: Don't laugh at me.
BLUEBELL: Silent, starey Silas.
SILAS: Where did your last model go?
LOUIS: Oh, my God, Bluebell, I'm so
BLUEBELL: Fucking pricks,
every last one of them.
[BELL RINGING]
MADAME: This is where she was alive.
When you want to
remember her, come here.
Don't bother with that bit
of stone they put her name on.
She'd want us raging, not mourning.
Here is where we'll remember her.
Not in a gruesome alleyway at
the hands of some pathetic man.
How dare he steal a whole life away?
[HAUNTING MUSIC]
Bluebell.
MADAME: I'll find the bastard
that did those things to her
if it's the last thing I do.
ROSSETTI: It won't be.
[BELLS RINGING]
[DOOR THUDS SHUT]
MILLAIS [OOV]: Good day, Reed.
SILAS: Good day.
MILLAIS: I don't suppose
you have a little dog
that is looking for a new owner.
I'm in need of something sort of
SILAS: I don't.
MILLAIS: Oh, might you be able to rustle
something up within the month?
SILAS: It's not a small job.
MILLAIS: I hope you
haven't been stewing, Reed.
We were all drinking.
Spirits were high.
SILAS: I only meant to speak
up for Miss Whittle's honour.
MILLAIS: I'm sure.
And besides, everything
else that happened
that night puts our little
disagreement into perspective.
Don't you agree?
Surely you heard?
SILAS: I haven't been
back to the Dolphin since.
MILLAIS: But you must have
read about it in the papers.
Bluebell
she was murdered that
night two weeks ago.
Found by Lamplighters in an
alley off of Charlotte Street.
SILAS: I didn't know.
MILLAIS: Oh. Now you do.
Perhaps you can light a candle
for her next time you're at church.
SILAS: Mm. Sure.
I'll have the dog ready for
you by the end of the month.
MILLAIS: Thank you, Reed. Truly.
AEVIE: How many you got?
ALBIE: Two.
EVIE: How many more to go?
ALBIE: He says he needs 150?
EVIE: What?
ALBIE: He doesn't know
I can't count past ten.
EVIE: [LAUGHS] Oh, it seems
a shame they've gotta die.
ALBIE: Yeah.
EVIE: I should head
home. Get back to work.
ALBIE: Alright.
[SOFT MUSIC]
LOUIS: I'm going to become a lawyer.
This isn't a profession,
this is torture.
This
it's Guigemar!
He's a man kneeling at a woman's feet.
- It's just so
- IRIS: Derivative?
LOUIS: Air. We need air. Come on.
LOUIS: It's actually
your fault, you know?
That rubbish you were
sprouting about idealized love.
IRIS: Well, yes, because it's insincere.
LOUIS: Insincere? Thank you.
IRIS: Why don't you
paint something true?
LOUIS: Like what?
IRIS: You could paint all of her hope
and her suffering and her desire.
LOUIS: No, no. It's all
wrong. It's all wrong.
IRIS: Frame her differently.
You don't need Guigemar.
LOUIS: Well, of course I do.
How else would we know
she's been rescued?
IRIS: Tell a different story.
And she's been captured
by her jealous husband.
Moments before she breaks free.
LOUIS: Mm?
IRIS: Have her hand
reaching for the bird,
a door open, reflected in the mirror.
LOUIS: She hasn't seen
that yet, no doubt.
You're a genius. You're a genius!
FLOWER SELLER [OOV]:
That's a shilling, sir.
LOUIS: Thank you.
It's not quite an iris, but it'll do.
[DOG BARKS]
ALBIE: Miss Iris!
- IRIS: Albie!
- LOUIS: Hello.
IRIS: Hello. Hi.
You have to meet Mr. Frost.
LOUIS: What a smile.
ALBIE: I'm saving for a
set of sea cow ivories.
LOUIS: Why would you bother?
And who's this?
ALBIE: Just started following me around.
He'll scarper when he
finds someone with food.
Won't you? Good boy. Good boy.
IRIS: So how's Rose?
ALBIE: Always saying I smell.
IRIS: Next time you're in the shop
will you tell her that I miss her?
ALBIE: I don't think she'd hear it.
LOUIS: Don't you think he would
make the perfect shepherd boy?
IRIS: Yes.
ALBIE: How much you paying?
IRIS [OOV]: [LAUGHS]
LOUIS: I love London this time of year.
IRIS: It's very beautiful.
I've been studying it from my window.
LOUIS: It's a real sense of possibility.
IRIS: There was a man.
LOUIS: Where?
It could be a mad man with
a knife come to accost us.
- IRIS: Don't.
- LOUIS: Oh, Iris, I was joking.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.
IRIS: I'm not one of those damsels
in distress you like to paint.
LOUIS: Iris, where are you going?
IRIS: I'm going to explore.
LOUIS: It's getting dark.
What about all the mad men?
IRIS: I can only see one.
LOUIS: Would you paint this?
IRIS: First one to the heart wins!
LOUIS [OOV]: Iris?
[UNSETTLING MUSIC]
[DOG BARKS DISTANTLY]
IRIS: Louis? Louis?
[DOG WHINING]
Louis?
IRIS: Ah, stop. No, Louis. No.
LOUIS: Iris.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
IRIS: Please stop following me.
LOUIS [OOV]: You're
ridiculous. I'll walk you home.
- IRIS: I'd rather you didn't.
- LOUIS: You'd rather I didn't?
Well, do you honestly
think I'm gonna force my way
into your lodgings because
of one silly nighttime romp?
[MOURNFUL MUSIC]
SILAS: I heard the music.
Um, I'm not usually a devote man.
- IRIS: Thank heavens.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
SILAS: You could have told me about him.
I-I met your sister.
IRIS: You went to the doll shop?
SILAS: I was looking for you.
IRIS: What did she say?
It's alright.
I know what she would've said.
SILAS: Don't need to feel ashamed, Iris.
Not in front of me.
No matter what choices you've made,
I-I know you've got a good heart.
Louis Frost, I know he's colourful.
They all are, those men.
But you should know there
have been so many girls.
I don't mean to offend you, but
you are one in a very long line.
I tried to warn you.
IRIS: I know.
SILAS: Is it because he's a gentleman?
Money?
IRIS: Of course not.
SILAS: No, I of course I shouldn't.
IRIS: I needed I needed an escape.
I'm sure you can understand that.
SILAS: Like I did.
IRIS [OOV]: Exactly.
And like your friend.
SILAS: Flick, her name was Flick.
IRIS: Did you ever find
out what happened to her?
SILAS: I like to imagine that
she escaped somewhere too.
I-I picture her happy.
Stuffing herself with blackberries,
like the ones we used to
forage together in the woods.
But then I think of how her father was
prone to outbursts and extreme cruelty.
And I fear that her father
went too far one day.
[EERIE MUSIC]
IRIS [OOV]: I'm so sorry.
SILAS: It's good to remember people.
It's good to remember her.
I doubt many do.
I went to the doll shop looking for you
because I wanted to tell
you that I've been accepted
into the Great Exhibition.
- Two pieces.
- IRIS: Oh, my goodness.
SILAS: I-I knew you of all people
would appreciate the
acknowledgement of my work.
IRIS: I am so happy for you.
You truly deserve it.
PRIEST: I'm afraid I-I need to close up.
The doors will open at sunrise
for private contemplation.
SILAS: It will be you next.
Your opus, your moment of recognition.
IRIS: But you, and the Great Exhibition.
SILAS: I'll send you a ticket.
IRIS: I would like that very much.
LOUIS: I know it's not good,
but I can't do anything.
CLARISSA: Well, do you expect me to?
- IRIS: What's that?
- LOUIS: It's a new sketch. No good.
IRIS: Sorry. Am I intruding?
CLARISSA: Uh, not at all.
Just a spontaneous visit.
Louis was just saying your painting
is coming along quite nicely.
Show me?
IRIS: Course.
[SOFT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]
CLARISSA: Hm.
Well, at this rate you'll
need your own studio.
She's outpainting you, brother.
LOUIS: Mm. In quantity.
- CLARISSA: Hm. I love your colours.
- LOUIS: The colours.
Oh, what insight. Such critique.
CLARISSA [OOV]: Thank you.
LOUIS: Which isn't to say that
I think Iris is untalented.
Quite the opposite.
I'd hate for her to
think that I have anything
but the utmost respect
for her and her work.
CLARISSA: I should be leaving.
Enjoy the party.
- LOUIS: You're not coming?
- CLARISSA: Louis,
at her last birthday, I was retching
over the sink for three days.
I could barely keep
down a glass of water.
Have fun.
FEMALE [OOV]: For she's
a jolly good fellow ♪
For she's a jolly good fellow,
for she's a jolly good fellow ♪
And so say all of us ♪
ALL: And so say all of us ♪
And so say all of us ♪
For she's a jolly good fellow,
for she's a jolly good fellow ♪
For she's a jolly good fellow ♪
And so say all of us ♪
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
[LIGHT CHATTER]
ROSSETTI: Well, I, for one,
will not be buying a ticket.
That they dare to even
mention the word "art"
in the context of their tacky display.
HUNT: And the whole
thing is pure commerce.
MILLAIS: And commerce
has no place in art.
IRIS: What are you talking about?
LOUIS [OOV]: Uh, the Great Exhibition.
MILLAIS [OOV]: Yeah. And
do you know that they
they will allow anyone to exhibit?
I mean anyone.
My tailor could do it
or Rossetti's mother.
[LAUGHTER]
IRIS: But don't they have to
be approved by a committee?
HUNT [OOV]: Oh, by committee?
ROSSETTI: No better than
the apes who run the Academy.
- HUNT [OOV]: Bastards.
- ROSSETTI: Hm.
IRIS: Well, it's fine for all of you.
Your work is exhibited even when
you do disdain the institution.
ROSSETTI: Are you
accusing us of privilege?
MILLAIS [OOV]: Never, us, privileged?
- HUNT [OOV]: Me?
- IRIS: I'm suggesting that perhaps
it's it's not quite
the same for everybody.
MILLAIS: Well, you know that, uh,
two of the Academy's
founders were women.
LOUIS: And yet where
were the female fellows
when we were students?
ROSSETTI: Yes, I'm sure you missed
them, Louis, but the point is,
- they will let anyone in.
- LOUIS: Technically.
ROSSETTI [OOV]: Well,
the proof sits right here.
- LOUIS: Oh, here.
- MILLAIS: What?
ROSSETTI: Admitted at the frankly
offensive age of ten years old.
MILLAIS: Well, eleven.
LOUIS: There was
clearly a clerical error.
- HUNT: It was a novelty case.
- ROSSETTI [OOV]: Blatant publicity stunt.
- How dare you?
- MILLAIS: No, it wasn't.
LIZZIE: No, don't upset Millais.
I desperately want to be your Ophelia.
- ROSSETTI: [GASPS]
- LIZZIE: I mean it.
ROSSETTI: You wouldn't
rather be my Beatrice?
LOUIS [OOV]: God, no.
HUNT [OOV]: Oh, what, Frost?
Do you object to Shakespeare now?
LOUIS: No, no, it's just this,
ah, this courtly love dogshit.
It's getting boring.
The love that we've been painting,
it's not actually
anything like real love.
It was Iris who enlightened me to that.
ROSSETTI: Explain.
IRIS: Love, it's it's not
how it is in your paintings.
HUNT: Oh.
ROSSETTI: How is it in my paintings?
IRIS: It's beautiful.
ROSSETTI: And how is it in reality?
IRIS: Messy.
LIZZIE: Mm.
Mm.
MILLAIS: Well, if Guigemar's
Rescue is not courtly love,
I don't know what is.
LOUIS: I'm not painting her rescue.
HUNT: What are you talking
about? We saw it just today.
LOUIS: I'm painting her escape.
- MILLAIS: Ugh.
- HUNT [OOV]: Oh, wow.
ROSSETTI: Here we fucking go.
IRIS: I think the birthday girl's tired.
LOUIS: You'd make an excellent mother.
IRIS: A mother to iguanas perhaps.
LOUIS: Mm.
IRIS: I think we've swapped sides.
LOUIS: Iris.
IRIS: I think the
composition isn't quite right.
IRIS: Stay still.
LOUIS: I'm sorry.
IRIS: You have this a line here.
IRIS: If I'm going to
paint the human form,
I need to study it.
Will you teach me?
IRIS: What are these
scars? Where are they from?
LOUIS [OOV]: A pox.
IRIS: They're not pox scars.
LOUIS: Mm.
From scratching.
IRIS: Well, you got off lightly.
LOUIS: It was, um, chicken pox.
IRIS: I didn't know it was like this.
LOUIS: And how is it?
Does it hurt?
IRIS: Yes and no.
Have you ever tried to paint this?
LOUIS: I think they have
another word for that.
SILAS: Can I help?
GIDEON: What the hell is all this?
I'm told that this is your shop.
Is that a fucking heart?
SILAS: From a
from a pig.
GIDEON: You're not a surgeon.
SILAS: I just
need the money for my training.
I'm I'm training to
be a surgeon like you.
It's not usual, I know.
So I don't exactly advertise it.
- It's embarrassing to have to penny
- GIDEON: You're embarrassed?
How do you think I look,
hanging around with some
SILAS: I didn't deceive anyone.
GIDEON: People don't want a surgeon
who used to pickle organs for a penny.
This is perverse.
SILAS: Well, father didn't
pay for my education.
I appreciate our friendship.
I hope we can remain friends.
GIDEON: Alright.
Alright.
Do you do the voices as well?
HUNT: Fuck you. You know I'm right.
Did you honestly think I wouldn't
notice that Guigemar's Rescue
is almost an exact imitation
of my Valentine Rescuing
Sylvia from Proteus?
- LOUIS: She's not being rescued.
- HUNT: Oh, bullshit.
MILLAIS: Oh, Hunt, be sensible.
You might as well be
accusing me at this rate.
LOUIS: Yeah, well, he'd never
accuse you, would he, Wonder Boy?
HUNT: Look, Louis, you are the only one
who suffers from a despicable
and chronic lack of originality.
MILLAIS: Right, well,
my Mariana's the same.
She she's wistfully
awaiting her love in a chamber.
IRIS: I don't look wistful, do I?
I was trying for a sort
of depressed defiance.
HUNT: [LAUGHS]
LOUIS: I've never seen a look like it.
HOUSEKEEPER [OOV]: Mr.
Frost, some letters for you.
LOUIS: Ah, thank you very much.
MILLAIS: Your work, it has
a, uh, dignified simplicity.
And I say "simplicity"
in the best possible way.
How long have you been working
with Louis for now, a month?
- LOUIS [OOV]: Five weeks.
- MILLAIS: Five weeks.
Your progress, it's astonishing.
LOUIS: Iris, this one's for you.
ALBIE: Colville Place. 1:00.
Mr. Silas. Mr. Silas.
SILAS: Mr. Millais has
commissioned a Spaniel.
ALBIE: Do you want me
to find the dog for you?
SILAS: I have the dog.
ALBIE: Want me to call him out for you?
SILAS: No need.
[SOFT REFLECTIVE MUSIC]
ALBIE: When do I get paid?
You'll pay now, lovey,
'cause I'm not having you
leg it when it's all over.
I'm no fool, sir.
If you don't hand me my money,
I'm not handing you my cunny.
LOUIS: [LAUGHS] Well.
Are you here.
ALBIE: Mr. Frost, sir.
There's a man outside your house.
LOUIS: Do the buttons up yourself.
ALBIE: I think he's
been watching Miss Iris.
LOUIS: Well, there's
there's no one outside.
Why do you think that?
ALBIE: I was there when they met
and he was asking me about her.
MILLAIS: Asking what?
ALBIE: Just all sorts of questions.
LOUIS: How do you know this man?
ALBIE: Do work for him,
but he's sort of scary.
LOUIS: You're scared of him?
ALBIE: I'm not scared of anyone.
LOUIS: No.
ALBIE: He's got a shop.
I find dead things for him
to stuff and sell in it.
- He's called Silas.
- MILLAIS: Yes, we know Silas, Albie.
LOUIS: I bet his business took a turn
since our altercation at the Dolphin.
ALBIE: He said he was
making a dog for you.
For him.
LOUIS: Did he now?
After what he said to me?
MILLAIS: Louis, it it's my work.
ALBIE: I don't think it's true, though.
- LOUIS: Traitor.
- MILLAIS: It is true, Albie.
ALBIE: I mean about that
being why he was outside.
MILLAIS: He was probably just
too embarrassed to come in.
LOUIS: As he should be.
ALBIE: I think he likes her, Miss Iris.
MILLAIS: Oh, Louis,
don't be angry at me.
LOUIS: It better be a bloody lovely dog.
That's all I have to say.
IRIS: You'll never finish
if you keep staring at me.
LOUIS: You're my model.
It's my job to stare at you.
Your job to be stared at.
IRIS: Well, I'll be
finished first at this rate.
Maybe I should submit instead.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
EVIE: Come on, Alb.
It's time to go.
Albie. Albie.
ALBIE [OOV]: I wish
I could keep you safe.
EVIE: You do.
You do. [GROANS]
Come on, Alb.
ALBIE: Megalosaurus.
Megalosaurus.
IRIS: Who is in these sketches?
[POUNDING AT DOOR]
MADAME: I know what you've done.
SILAS: What are you talking about?
MADAME: I'll see you hanged
for what you did to her.
SILAS: I don't know what you're talk
MADAME: You know exactly
what I'm talking about.
SILAS: Madame, you're upset.
You need water and you need your bed.
MADAME: What I need
is to feel your flesh
split under my own knife.
You don't deserve to have
her last moments to yourself.
SILAS: Madame, I'm sorry you're in pain.
You need to leave. You're drunk.
MADAME: I see you, little man.
Silent, starey Silas.
And I'm gonna make sure that
everyone else can see you too.
ALBIE: I'm sorry about
your friend Bluebell.
I think Mr. Silas has been
watching my friend too.
MADAME: Watching?
ALBIE: People don't notice me
'cause they don't think I'm important.
But I see all sorts of stuff.
Maybe we can help each other.
ANANYA: May I move now?
IRIS: It's not perfect.
I don't think I got your eyes right.
The shape is fine, but the size
I don't know. [SIGHS]
I'd like to try again in in oils.
Do you hate it?
ANANYA: I don't think anyone
has ever looked at me so closely.
Can I keep it?
Have you decided if you'll submit,
I mean, to the Royal Academy?
IRIS: Louis doesn't think I'm ready.
ANANYA: Does it matter
if he thinks that?
IRIS: It does if I don't succeed.
ANANYA: You can't try again next year?
Iris, surely one of the
benefits of being a woman
is that we don't have to suffer
from this awful pride of theirs.
You try, maybe you
fail, maybe you succeed.
What is there to lose?
ANANYA: But I don't think you'll fail.
[CURIOUS MUSIC]