Last Days of the Space Age (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

1
Bet old Bob loved hearing how I turned out
to be the loser he always pegged me to be.
Being made redundant
doesn't make you a loser, Tony!
Deserting your family
because you're sulking about it, does.
- You could make a mistake!
- Like you did!
I know Tilly was born
less than nine months
after you got married.
I know what that means.
We found Van.
He's in a refugee camp in Malaysia.
BOB: There's a
Malaysian bloke I know of.
He may be able to help.
But he'll charge you.
ROSEMARY:
Poppy, look! He brought your bust.
What are you doing with that?
ROSEMARY: Fire! Our Stirling's on fire!
- What is your problem?
- You shouldn't have kissed him.
They don't have what you have,
but they connect. They seem nice.
But we can do better.
(ALL CHEER)
Women will now not go to space.
Better at becoming beauty queens. Huh?
- Hey! Give it back!
- CHOOK: You want it, hey?
- Come on. Come get it.
- MIA: Give me my board back!
- What are you doing?
- JONO: What are you doing?
- But you can't even drive.
- Watch me.
- Don't you dare! Hey!
- Stop!
- (BOYS SCREAMING)
- JONO: You're going too fast.
- MIA: (SHOUTING) I'm trying!
- JONO: Try a bit harder! No!
- (LOUD THUD)
- (TELEPHONE RINGING)
- (JONO COUGHING)
- MIA: (COUGHING) You okay?
- (BOTH COUGHING)
- (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
(PANTS) Get back.
Back.
Chook's gonna kill us.
(WAVES CRASHING)
(POLICE SIREN WAILING)
(INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER)
This is shit.
Your kids stole that car.
You know it’s a criminal offense.
They could end up with records.
Oh, come on, Rocco.
I mean, it was a mistake.
They’re good kids. You know them.
Jude, good kids don't steal cars.
(CLEARS THROAT)
You’re a dad. Just
I’d love it if you could
help this all go away, mate.
Well, love to help you out there, son.
Okay.
And I’d love not to be dragged
from my home of an evening
because parents
can’t control their kids.
- Rocco, I
- Hey?
To be sent out to a crash site
not knowing if I’m gonna have to scrape
a dead body off the road.
If that car had hit the tree
one inch either side
you’d be speaking
to an undertaker right now.
But, yeah. Sure, Tony.
I'll help you make this all, um
go away.
SANDY: It will never
happen again, Rocco.
(WHISTLES)
I mean, he’s right, you know.
I don’t remember forcing her out into
the night to act like a bloody idiot.
Look, what happened last night
shouldn’t have happened.
We’ve been distracted.
JUDY: You happy, huh?
I'm not!
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(THEME MUSIC CONCLUDES)
My board!
(EXHALES)
- JUDY: Why would they do that?
- Ugh!
- To keep her off the beach.
- JUDY: Oh, Mia! Honey!
- Mia.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
You didn’t see 'em? Hear 'em?
Call the cops?
"Are you okay, Tilly?
Hope you weren’t too worried, Tilly."
Yeah, I’m fine, Mum. Thanks, Dad.
I know you were thinking of me.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
(IN VIETNAMESE)
- MAN: (IN VIETNAMESE)
(GRUNTS, CHUCKLES)
You'll be busy today.
Did you make the call?
I spoke to the Malaysian bloke.
Is he from the embassy?
Is he here or is he in Malaysia?
All that matters is the money.
Five grand he's saying, and I'll
guarantee your boy gets out the country.
After that, there'll be
a second payment.
- They can't say how much yet.
- (CHUCKLES)
Yes! Yes, yes.
I make you a mixtape. All the hits.
- "Macho Man," "Y.M.C.A." Okay!
- Oh! Appreciate that.
What happened to you?
- Uh
- (MUSIC FADES)
JUDY: Dad?
Dad? What are you doing?
What is that doing in my street?
I had to hear about the accident
involving my granddaughter
- from the bloody fish and chip shop!
- This parking is illegal, you know!
You’re lucky my husband’s not home!
I’m going to the council.
TONY: Jesus, Bob!
You've knocked over the bins.
Someone needs to take control
of this family,
- so I’m moving in.
- Uh, can I get paid, mate?
Listen, I’m getting the keys.
I’m taking you back to the beach.
- No. No, no, no
- Oh, Dad!
- I’m not going anywhere.
- TONY: What are you doing?
- (GRUNTS)
- (AIR HISSING)
(SIGHS)
(GRUNTS)
Now, you need to take your head
out your arse
and go and get a job
- so my daughter can be a good mother.
- Oh, right.
But when I had a job, you didn’t much
like that either, remember?
- Uh, it’s a flat fee of five bucks.
- BOB: No, it it was the rabble-rousing.
- Yeah, the rabble-rousing.
- Rabble-rousing!
- BOB: That's what I didn't like.
- Here we go.
All the union bullshit.
When you should’ve been at home
looking after your kids.
- JUDY: Oh, what would you know about that?
- Don't walk away from me.
TONY: She’s old enough
to do what she wants, Bob.
- Hey
- Pay him.
Hey, listen! Listen.
- I want to see Mia. She needs me.
- She needs rest.
(SIGHS) Stay out of my house.
(GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING)
- (BILYA CHUCKLING)
- (MUSIC FADES)
- (GRUNTS)
- You're gonna remake it.
- What?
- EILEEN: Stirling.
That bloke you barbecued last night
at the party.
(SCOFFS) Mum would be proud of me.
You’re not here
to make political statements.
- You’re here to get an education.
- I'm not the one who needs educating, Nan.
Let me tell you something for nothing.
The smartest man I ever knew died in jail.
Because he wasn’t smart enough
to know that pissin’ whitefellas off
- doesn’t make them listen.
- (TELEPHONE RINGING)
(SIGHS) Hi. Yeah, no, your son’s here.
Yup, he's got a big weekend planned.
Mm-hmm.
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
Hey!
That bust you made.
Reckon you can teach me
how to make a new one?
Sure! (CHUCKLES)
- BILYA: Yeah?
- POPPY: Yeah.
Oh, but, um your your dad and mum?
Are they home?
POPPY: Uh, no.
Uh, Saturday, she gets her hair done.
- Major construction.
- (BILYA CHUCKLES)
And him, I prefer not to know.
- Well, I mean, I do but I wish I didn’t.
- Hmm.
- After you.
- Uh yeah.
- Ooh!
- POPPY: Can I?
- BILYA: All right.
- POPPY: Thank you!
BILYA: Careful.
- (POPPY CHUCKLES)
- BILYA: Yeah.
(POPPY CHEERS)
- (DOOR SHUTS)
- (JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES OVER SPEAKER)
Ta-da! The good room.
Let’s do it in here. (CHUCKLES)
- Yep.
- (MUSIC FADES)
- Yes. No. I understand.
- (FOOD SIZZLING)
- What's burning?
- He's the editor.
Yeah, I'm just not quite sure
that that's the right approach, Wayne.
Well, if you give me the number,
I'll call him.
Okay. I've got it.
I tried to sand it off,
what they wrote on the board.
It’s too deep.
Somebody died last night at the hospital
because of the power cut.
Now, imagine if that had been Mia.
Wayne wants me to keep it out
of the paper.
I bet he does.
He says the hospital doesn’t want it
getting out either.
He needs to understand
- that there are consequences
- If the strike had been settled,
- we wouldn't be
- Oh, so this is my fault, huh?
Tony, I'm not saying that.
This is not on my men.
If the company just offered what’s fair,
- we wouldn't be
- They’re not your men anymore.
Honey, it's not your fight.
- (TELEPHONE CLACKING, WHIRRING)
- (SIGHS)
(SIGHS)
- (KNOCKING ON WINDOW)
- BOB: Mia?
- Come on!
- (KNOCKING CONTINUES)
(SIGHS)
(KNOCKING CONTINUES)
Waves won't wait!
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
I’m so sick of Stirling.
What’s the big deal about him anyway?
All he did was sail down a river.
- You heard of the Battle of Pinjarra?
- No.
Stirling won it. 1834, 25 men.
They got up two hours early before dawn
so the enemy wouldn’t see them coming.
- (CHUCKLES)
- BILYA: Crept down the Murray.
Stirling was the leader,
but I doubt he went first.
Yeah, we did it in history.
Didn’t someone die?
Yeah, uh, a police officer.
And about 80 Pinjarra people.
Women and kids, too.
What Why are we making
a bust of him then?
We’re not.
(CHUCKLES)
(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING)
Mid, thanks, mate.
Tony bloody Bissett.
(SCOFFS) George.
Missed you at the reunion.
Missed you at all 17 of them actually.
Not really one for reunions.
Well, you're not missing much.
Just a bunch of bald blokes
with beer bellies.
How the hell do you still look so good,
hey, you bugger? (CHUCKLES)
- (COUGHS)
- You all right?
I’m sick 'cause of the desert.
We can’t talk about that.
- We signed that paper.
- I don’t give a shit.
They didn’t give a shit about us
when they exposed us to nuclear fallout
with those tests.
I’m talking to a lawyer.
But we need numbers
if we’re gonna take 'em on.
It’s the British bloody government,
- for God's
- Look, mate. You listen to me.
Whatever you’re doing,
I want no part of it.
I’ve never talked about that to anyone,
and I’m not going to start now.
MALE ANNOUNCER: (OVER TV)
You've got it, Miss Universe.
KATRINA: Miss Soviet Union
is grabbing headlines
and it seems increasing popularity
with her enthusiasm
for all things Australia.
Katrina Munro, Channel Two, Perth.
Okay, ladies, we're making a line.
That's it. I'll take the coats.
All right, hurry up, now. Thank you.
Thank you.
- PHOTOGRAPHER: I'd give her an eight.
- LYDIA: That's it.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nine.
She loses points for the one piece
and the hair. I prefer blondes.
Who gives a shit.
I wouldn’t kick any of 'em out of bed.
Put Miss U.S.S.R front and centre.
I'll make it worth your while.
Sorry, one moment, gentlemen. Sorry.
Hold, hold fire!
Quick, quick.
Move, move, move!
- And wave then say, "Hello, Perth!"
- ALL: Hello, Perth!
YVGENY: Filming at the party
was very smart.
LYDIA: Miss Universe!
She's a normal girl. She eats
their food, plays with their children.
Now that she's on top,
she must stay there.
LYDIA: That's it, show some personality!
You've been in military?
Vietnam.
I learnt to hold it this way
because of the rain.
Now it’s a habit, I suppose.
Yeah, my son is in Afghanistan,
in the army.
He’s an engineer,
but there'll soon be a war.
There's always a war.
LYDIA: Thank you, gentlemen.
Any questions for the girls?
Now's your opportunity.
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- Good.
Tomorrow night I can bring guest.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- Uh, I feel like Cinderella.
- Governor’s Ball. Only rich people.
- Not normal suit. Black tie.
- YVGENY: Hmm.
You dance?
Like Nureyev?
MICK: (CHUCKLES) Something like that.
(HARD ROCK MUSIC
PLAYING OVER RADIO)
MICK: What?
I wanna know if your offer still stands.
Yes.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
I've got a job, just so you know.
Do you want a medal?
JONO: Mia?
Boo.
- Mia's in the shower.
- (GRUNTS)
And she's gonna be there for ages, so
Is she okay?
Mia's always okay.
Look, if she's not talking to Mum,
she's not gonna talk to you either.
Well, maybe you should try.
Why should I try to
make Mia feel better?
Um I I don't know, 'cause
maybe because she's your sister.
And nothing bad happened to you.
You really think so?
(MUSIC FADES)
(GASPS)
(GRUNTS)
I, um thought I might be
coming down with something,
I didn't want to give it to your mother.
(COUGHS)
- Where's Mia?
- Where do you think?
What's up your nose?
On the plus side, Dad, you sound fine.
EILEEN: Any better?
He's been sleeping on the couch.
Went out yesterday,
did God knows what, God knows where.
I meant Mia.
Oh, of course.
Uh can't get her to eat.
Can't get her to talk.
Won't get out of bed.
All girls go deep.
They're like whales, they dive in,
you don’t see ‘em for days.
Boys, they flip around in front of you
like bloody friggin' dolphin idiots.
- (JUDY CHUCKLES)
- (CHUCKLES)
(SOFT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
I've been banned from Chez Bissett.
- SANDY: (CHUCKLES) The usual?
- BOB: Oh, lovely.
- So, how you been?
- SANDY: Good. Busy.
(CUTLERY CLINKS)
- SANDY: On me.
- Oh, no.
- Thank you!
- And this.
Bloody hell.
Our savings. Five thousand for Van.
Sandy
And now, thanks to you,
we will all be together.
(MUSIC FADES)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
MICK: You can’t buy your way
into this kind of event.
Well, you can,
but it’s like a thousand bucks a ticket.
That’s the income bracket
that's gonna be there tonight.
Buying yourself
a better class of dance partner?
Everyone who is
anyone is gonna be there.
Murray Doull’s going.
If I can just get five minutes with him,
I know I can get him to invest.
What would you have
done if I wasn’t here?
You're always here.
RUSSELL: Glad you noticed.
You’re not gonna say anything?
Be careful.
- I think Murray’s more of a yacht man.
- (SCOFFS)
Or is it the most beautiful woman
in the world that you’re worried about?
I’m worried about you.
Made it out of a shearing shed
and the army in one piece,
- so I think I'll be fine.
- Yeah, because you wanted out, mate,
not in.
(SIGHS) Not everyone wants to opt-out
and smoke weed and share vegetables.
- These people
- MICK: These people have the money
to take me to the next level.
Next year,
I’m gonna be on the guest list.
Not just someone else's guest.
After tonight,
everything is gonna be different.
(CHUCKLES)
(UPBEAT MUSIC CONTINUES)
- (CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(MUSIC FADES)
(REGAL JAUNTY MUSIC PLAYING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Don't look up.
People with power look
only at their level. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
Or down at what they want.
You must know your place.
Play your part. It is theatre.
All you have to do is act.
Who do you want me to be?
What are you doing here?
The press is not allowed inside.
- He's with me.
- You need to be mingling.
Good idea.
Let's go meet
the most influential man in town.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
MICK: Mick Bissett.
Murray Doull.
I thought you gentlemen might like
to meet the next Miss Universe.
- (CHUCKLES) Good evening.
- Miss Soviet Union, of course.
Frank’s ensured
everyone knows about you.
Well, by the time
Frank picked up the story,
it’d run on TV
and in print all round the world.
Frank needs to face the fact
that news is changing.
The Soviets are on the brink
of invading Afghanistan,
but a beauty queen at a barbeque is
what gets eyes glued to the TV screens.
What makes you
such an authority on all this?
Svetlana's my story.
I made I made her.
Two days ago, she was no one.
Now she's the front-runner.
And the competition hasn't even started.
My company, Bissett Star Broadcasting, is
gonna revolutionise the media business.
(CHUCKLES) Darling, let’s dance. Hmm?
You’re right.
Can’t come on too strong with men
with that kind of money.
Have to play a little hard to get.
You really think you made me?
That I’d be nothing without you?
You have to admit,
a few days ago you were no one.
And now
- Everyone is watching us.
- Are they watching us?
Look around.
(CROWD GASP, CHUCKLE)
You are mistaken.
She's the one with the power.
(CHUCKLES PLAYFULLY)
- You might have warned me.
- Yeah. More fun this way.
- (SVETLANA CHORTLES)
- (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
(SVETLANA CHEERS)
(MUSIC FADES)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING OVER RADIO)
Chips for everyone!
Have a great night, boys.
I’ll take the till, too.
Lam, no.
Why don’t you go to the movies, huh?
My shout.
I don’t want to go to the movies.
I want a new van.
(THUDS ON VAN)
Is that it?
I guess I’ll have to come back
some other time then.
(THUMPS VAN)
(MUSIC TURNS SUSPENSEFUL)
Binh, no!
- Hey, give it back.
- What, are you gonna fight all of us?
- SANDY: Binh!
- Hey?
- Come on!
- Come on.
CHOOK: Yeah, hide behind Mummy. Coward!
- No, Binh!
- CHOOK: Hey, come on, let's go!
- Hey! Hey!
- SANDY: Lam!
- (BOYS SHOUTING)
- (SANDY CRYING)
Get over here!
SANDY: (IN VIETNAMESE)
(BOYS HOOTING, CACKLING) loser!
Close early!
(IN VIETNAMESE)
Shush.
SANDY:
Mia’s not gonna eat it,
so I figured somebody should.
You know, she must be well off
if she’s knocking back shepherd’s pie.
FEMALE VOICE: Kids! Bed.
Mm.
FEMALE VOICE: Kids!
(DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE)
When I was a kid, all I ever wanted
was to be part of a normal family.
(SIGHS) And now, I just want my kids
to have everything that I never had.
And then, like, all this happens
and I've got this job and I think I’m
I think I'm good at it.
(SIGHS)
I don’t mind the hours,
I don't mind the juggling. It's just
I
I worry so much
that I'm not there for them.
(CLICKS TONGUE) Well, I worked
and you turned out all right.
Your kids will too.
I don’t know what to do about Mia.
- You’re asking me?
- Well, what would you do differently?
Nothing, you’re perfect.
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Seriously, Dad.
- I'm being serious.
I think you’re brilliant.
Don't ask what I would have done
differently.
It must have been hard
growing up without a mum.
Oh, Jesus, I know I wasn't perfect.
But, uh
Maybe I got home late
but you knew I’d be home.
Every night, that I'd be there.
So are you.
- (SNIFFLES)
- (SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
Where’s your shadow?
He’s, um looking for the car
that followed us here.
- A car followed us here?
- Hmm. There’s always a car.
You’re a good dancer.
There's not too many good dancers
back home then?
Mm.
I know what that’s like. There
weren’t many where I grew up either.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
Here in the city though, there’s more.
There’s more of everything here.
- (ELECTRICITY RUMBLES)
- (MUSIC ENDS ABRUPTLY)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello?
Hello?
- I'm hanging up.
- MIA: It's me, Niki Lauda.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
Mia, you could’ve died.
- You could've killed both of us.
- MIA: But I didn’t.
I'm sorry for the crash and the kiss
(SIGHS)
I’m so sorry for all of it.
- (RECEIVER CLATTERS)
- Mia?
(LINE BEEPING)
(SOMBRE MUSIC PLAYING)
TILLY: Mia?
Mia, stop hogging the bathroom.
Other people need to use it too.
(MIA COUGHS)
- (MIA SOBBING)
- TILLY: Mia Dad!
(MIA SOBBING)
- What's going on?
- Oh, she needs her mum.
- (MIA SNIFFLES, SOBS)
- JUDY: Oh!
- Hey.
- (MIA SNIFFLES)
(SIGHS)
It's all right.
It's gonna be all right.
TONY: You wanna talk about anything?
TILLY: Was I a mistake?
TONY: Let me tell you a story.
I met your mum when she came
to work at the factory.
I was an apprentice
and she had a job in the office.
I’d just got my license and
was keen to take her out in the ute
I’d used all my savings to buy.
But your grandfather wouldn’t let her
get in cars with boys.
Definitely not one
that was a union hothead.
So, when we started to go around,
I had to take her out on the bus.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
But the timetable was terrible.
There was only one bus to the pictures
every two hours on the weekend.
What I’m trying to tell you,
darling, is
no one waits for two hours
for a bus by mistake.
- (ELECTRICITY CRACKLES)
- (RADIO FEEDBACK CRACKLES)
MALE REPORTER:
NASA has reported that Skylab,
its currently unmanned space station,
has entered into orbital decay.
This is the latest setback
for the US space agency
after repeated delays
to the Space Shuttle program.
With no current mission and none upcoming
into the tenth anniversary of Apollo 11,
the future of the civilian space program
is unclear.
Skylab is set to crash back down
to Earth at an unspecified time,
at an unspecified location.
NASA calculates the odds of debris
hitting a human to be one in 152.
And the odds of hitting a city
of 100,000 or more, one in seven.
- (RUMBLING)
- (THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(THEME MUSIC CONCLUDES)