Smother (2021) s01e04 Episode Script

And if I see a sign
in the sky tonight
No one's gonna tell me
it's a trick of the light
May never come but
I'm willing to wait
What can I say?
I'm a man of the faith
And there's
an ocean in my body
And there's a river
in my soul
And I'm crying
[birds chirping]
Come on, jump in.
[music and chatter]
That was some night
last night, wasn't it.
-It was great, Craic.
-I wasn't even meant to go out.
[all laughing]
Ah, shall we go at it again?
All right, posh boy!
What's this rocket fuel stuff?
[cackles]
[Jacob] This is all your fault.
Calum's gone because of you.
He's just trying
to scare us a bit.
That's it,
I'm going to the guards.
Anna, he will turn up,
at least wait until
Frank and Jamie get back.
For all we know they may have
already picked him up someplace.
I'm not sitting on
my hands while he's out
there God knows where,
-I mean he hardly
knows the place.
-I'll go with you.
No, you won't!
Why wouldn't I?
No, I'll go with her.
Someone should be here
in case he turns up.
Come on.
There's no sign of him yet.
If they're going out
the old road, we should
head towards Ennis.
I'm going to the guards
first to report him missing.
Look I'd really like you not to
take this to the guards, Anna.
It just, it makes it
very big, very official.
Official? Do you not think this
is a bloody emergency, Mam?
Well give us a toke on that.
Move the party on then.
Actually,
I think I'm gonna go now lads.
Relax, chill out.
We're only getting started.
I know about the fights.
The fights he has with Rory.
Jenny told me
she saw Rory hit him.
Jenny should have
kept her gob shut.
And there wasn't just
a little slap, Anna.
And then there was last night.
Rory was pissed,
it got out of hand.
I want you to think about
that before you walk in there.
Think about whether
this is a good idea.
Maybe Sergeant Manning already
has Calum in his sights.
A woman from town told
me Calum attacked
a bunch of lads and left
them in a right state.
That's the first
I've heard of it.
Well couldn't that make you
wonder what else there is?
When Denis was found he was
found wearing Rory's jacket.
Maybe Calum saw Denis
in that jacket in the dark
and thought perhaps
it was Rory standing there.
-Get out!
-Ah, Anna, love.
Out of the car!
Anna, please.
-Can I borrow your car?
-Oh, hello to you too.
Just give me your keys, Mairead.
Yeah, when you tell me
whatever's happened to put
that look on your face.
Isn't Calum missing enough?
-Have you been to the guards?
-No, and we're not
going to either.
-Jesus, Val, why the hell not?
-Play nicely children,
take it outside.
What's going on?
Just give me the keys.
I'm not giving you
the key until you tell me
what's actually happening.
Oh, would you just stay
out of it, Mairead?
This is family business.
I'm sorry,
I didn't mean it like that.
Yeah, you did.
You don't even know
how much you did.
Look, I'm shattered,
Mairead, you know that.
Val, stop behaving like Denis.
I mean it, covering up,
trying to control everything,
the children,
the girls, now the grandkids
with the whole glittery
Ahern pageant.
No, no, I am not like Denis.
I'm -- I've done nothing
but protect my girls.
That's exactly what he'd say.
You know I love those girls
from the tips of my toes.
They have a sense of entitlement
that is off the Richter scale.
Denis did that,
you did that too.
Come on, Val, you and me
have always been
honest with each other.
I was the poor eejit had to tell
you about Denis and Alanna.
-Do you think that
was easy for me?
-No.
No, I don't think you got the
tiniest pang of pleasure too.
You know what, I am trying
to hold this family together.
Yeah, by covering up more
secrets and lies, you mean.
You know what,
why don't you worry
about your own family lies.
You know, I kept my mouth shut
during your entire marriage.
It's one set of rules
for your family and
another set of rules for mine,
is that how this works?
[inhales in pain]
-[phone rings]
-Answer your phone, Anna.
Calum, it's Mum, again.
You answer your phone.
Please just let me know
you're all right.
Hi, this is Anna. I can't
take your call right now,
but if you leave
a message I'll get
back to you
as soon as I can. Bye.
Anna, phone me, will ya?
[Jen] It's just a total waste of
time.
I have enough on my plate
without my mother sending
us on a wild goose chase.
About the money?
Doing my best
to fix things, Jen.
But your father left
us in the right mess.
You have no idea.
Is there something
you're not telling me?
[Jen] Go down the cliff road,
Frank.
[Frank] All right.
[bang]
Oh. For God's
Of course we have, blown a tire.
All right, good.
[chuckles] Jesus!
Let's see you keep up
this sense of humour when
I go into fecking labour
on you here Frank.
Well, then.
If you let me go now
I might have to kill you.
Then you might want to kill me
when I tell you I've come here
looking for Ingrid.
Calum's gone missing.
You really have no idea
where he might be?
No, he hasn't answered
my texts all morning.
It'll be to do with his Dad.
I know he's hit him
his dad has like.
Sounds like he's definitely
got some crazy temper.
Do you think he hates
his father?
Yeah, I do.
[Jacob] Dad, wait!
If you find Calum you're
going to get in a fight.
-I'm ringing mum.
-Close the door.
Look I'm running out of patience
now, will you close the door.
Dad, wait Dad!
[thuds]
Dad!
Dad, Dad wake up,
please wake up.
[phone buzzes]
-Is that Calum?
-No, it's Jacob.
-I've got to go.
-Okay.
Dad! Dad get up, please!
Please get up, please Dad.
Please wake up!
Rory! Jacob.
Hey. Okay, I've got you,
you're okay.
Rory?
Rory.
-What was that?
-It's okay. It's okay.
I'm going to call an ambulance,
it's gonna be okay.
-No, no, no ambulance.
-Dad!
No, it's all right, tell
you what, can you
put the kettle on?
He needs hot sweet tea, go on.
It's gonna be okay.
Why no ambulance,
you need a doctor!
I know what they'd
tell me, that's why.
What do you mean by that?
I mean I'm fine.
Okay.
Want some?
No, not at all,
sure you need it.
I'm pregnant, Frank, not dying!
You often looked out for me
more than Dad ever did.
Ah, would you stop.
You should've had kids.
Why did you leave Rita?
Actually, I didn't leave Rita.
Rita left me.
-Sorry, come again?
-[waves crashing]
It's just-- just a yarn
that we spun, you know?
It made your father
feel better about it.
I mean, we were-- we were happy
in London.
Actually, we were very happy.
And then he, uh
Denis phoned up and sold me
on the idea
of the pair of us getting rich
here together.
But he said he couldn't do it
without me, he needed me.
Sure look I was I was always
weak when it came to your dad.
So we moved over
and she hated it here.
So she went back
and then I was supposed to go
back the next month.
But then the next month.
Yeah, look,
it was my own greed really
that kept me here, that and
Denis's hold over me.
Till after a while there
was no Rita to go back to.
I think that comes
under the category
of your own fault, Frank.
Yeah.
Yeah, it was.
Although a few years later,
I began to think maybe that
Denis had a hand in it
as well, you know.
How do you mean?
I met up with Rita
over in London,
you know, for a drink,
just for old times' sake,
we'd both moved on.
And as she was leaving the pub,
she just said to me,
no hard feelings.
She said that she hoped
that I was still with
the woman who'd split us up.
I said there was no woman
that split us up!
So I thought at first
that maybe she just
assumed it, but
later when I was talking
to Denis he
you know he had
that look on his face.
The cat that got the cream.
You think he told her that story
to keep you here?
Or he got someone else
to do it for him.
It must have been hard
not to hold that against him?
Who says I didn't?
No word from him since?
Then I need
to get back out there.
[Val] No you don't,
you sit tight for a minute.
For God's sake Val, I'm fine.
What the hell is going
on with his family?
Do you have any idea
the trouble Calum's in here?
He's attacked a bunch
of young fellas in town
and then there's the
pair of you fighting,
you crash a car!
I mean,
something is seriously off.
And now he's run.
You know what,
if my father was beating
me senseless I'd run too!
Now you tell me
because I want the truth.
Do you think he could have been
involved in any way with what
-happened to Denis?
-What?
It's the violence in him, Rory,
that you put in him.
I don't think
it's such a massive reach.
You know think about it,
he was a young boy,
everything around him
was out of control,
his mother, then
there was the fire and now you.
It's not him all right.
It's me.
I've a brain tumour.
I'm dying, Val. I'm
I'm-- I'm dying.
[laughter]
What's the gear for?
Hurling, is it?
I noticed the hoodie,
do you play local?
Singapore.
Funny that, some jumped up
prick about your age
battered my little
brother the other day!
He was over from Singapore.
What the fuck!
[brakes screech]
Come on!
[Rory] I'm terrified
what it's done to me.
It's changed me.
I'm terrified that this
this version of myself
it's the one that the boys
will be left with as a memory.
I think Calum hates me now.
[sniffles] And he's right to.
The boys will understand
better once they know.
You have to tell them.
[laughter] We just want to talk.
Come here.
You think I've had my craic,
you little gobshite?
I'm only getting started!
Robbie grabbed his bags,
can we go now?
[doorbell ringing]
I'll be right back.
Could be Calum!
Val, is Calum in?
Calum?
Yeah, we've had a report.
Have you now, a report?
Apparently he's assaulted
some young lads.
It's nothing official
yet, but I would
like a word with him.
Put him right.
-No.
-No?
Well you said it yourself
it's nothing official.
And anyway he's not here,
so, no.
Look, Val, this could be very
serious if the parents
of the boys wanted it to be.
Listen, I am a very
busy woman and I don't
know what else to tell you
except that he's not here,
so mind how you go.
He's not here,
could be anywhere.
[phone buzzes]
[clatters]
-He's not here.
-What do you mean he's gone?
How far can you get in
the space of 10 seconds?
-Can we go?
-We're not going anywhere!
-Where do you want to go?
-I'm fuckin' starving.
I'm gonna fuckin' kill this lad,
do you hear me?
He has to be up there.
Come with me.
Come on.
What's the matter?
Has something happened?
Nothing, Mam,
I'm just tired from the flight.
Maybe leave her be,
she's just tired.
Denis knew, didn't he?
Yeah, Anna told him,
months back when they
found out it was terminal.
She didn't want you to worry.
You'll have to ask Anna.
Calum? Calum?
Calum?
Ah, are you all right?
You can go home now, thanks.
Panic over.
Um, do you mind if I ask
what sort of panic
it was to start with?
Yeah.
Fair enough.
Oh, um, I have half a sandwich
from lunch if you
Calum, why are we here?
Let's just say
this wasn't plan A.
Listen.
Would you mind if I hung around?
You're here now.
There's a relief,
I don't think my backside
is up to the drive back
just yet, after the road here.
Potholes are like bloody
swimming pools!
Excuse me.
Have you seen this boy?
I haven't, I'm sorry.
[laughter]
Do you know Calum Lynch?
Your man, lives out the old
road, does basket weaving.
Why are you wearing his clothes?
-If you laid a finger on him!
-We didn't touch him.
All right.
He got a fright,
took off running.
Took off running where?
That's for you to find out,
lady.
Come on, boys.
I ran away myself
when I was about your age.
Real pain in the arse.
Not much has changed.
Yeah, yeah.
I went on being
a pain in the arse.
I'm sorry, it's not you
I mean to lash out at.
You can trust me, Calum.
It's like he's gone mad,
at home.
You never know
which version of Dad's gonna
come through the door.
There's nothing
you can do right.
And when Jacob asked me
about it
I don't know how
to keep pretending
like it's not all falling apart.
And for me with Dad
I just can't do anything right.
He can't stand the sight of me!
Same as you.
No, no, no, it was never you.
Don't think that.
Oh, God
I always, always loved you.
And right this minute my heart
feels like it-- it could burst.
You know?
[makes explosion sound]
Now I remember you.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
Oh. Hello.
I, uh, I thought I could
do better than a wave
from across the road.
How are you recovering?
Myself and Cathy,
we went into the hospital.
Um
I'm grand.
Good, good.
And actually, I do have
a bit of a question
for you while I'm here.
Erm, we're having a little meal
out for my birthday
tomorrow night,
nothing mad, just a few friends.
Uh, Cathy, she'd really love
you to come.
Would have asked
you herself like
but she was afraid
she wouldn't be let
through the door.
Does Cathy know
about what happened, Joe?
No. No, she doesn't.
I'll not be coming
to your dinner.
Sorry.
There's an answer.
Is that it?
No, uh, no, actually
there's something else
I wanted to say to you.
Could we?
About that time in London.
You know,
it must have been awful.
You must have been angry
with him.
Denis, I'm angry with him.
You're angry with him?
-For London?
-Yeah, of course I am.
All these years I assumed
it'd be me you'd be angry with.
No, you-- you were just a kid.
We were both just kids.
But he took it out of our hands,
like, we didn't even
I just wanted to come
and say that to you.
And to invite me
to the Mad Hatter's tea party.
Yeah, yeah, I get it,
you're not coming.
Thanks.
[door closes]
[Calum] Didn't Dad try to help?
Of course he did!
But, uh, it-- it was impossible
to help me.
And, um he did have
you two to worry about.
May I?
-[fire alarm beeping]
-[indistinct chatters]
Ah, Jesus Christ.
-Ah, Calum I'm so, so sorry.
-Stop, Mom, stop I'm fine.
We're fine.
I'm so, so sorry, I'm sorry!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[sobbing]
Right, that's everyone told now.
Are you happy?
Got enough attention yet?
What the hell is wrong with you?
Anna, Anna,
there will be plenty of time
And, you! We're demented
with worry and you've known
where he is this entire time.
She didn't, Mum, I texted her.
Why would you do that?
Well, I guess he was afraid
you'd kick off
just like you're doing,
I told you where he was.
Let's just look at that
for a second you didn't
even tell me he was missing.
-Come on, Calum, let's go.
-No, hang on. Hang on.
Calum knows why he ran,
you know why he ran, I think
I have a right to know
It's none of your business.
Did you really just say that?
Do you've any idea
what you put us through?
Let's rewind here to why.
We'll get to that part when
he's back with his family!
He's actually with part of
his family, that would be me.
Go on ahead, Calum,
wait for me in the car.
No, wait up, wait up, Calum.
Um, have you told him?
Did you ever tell Jacob?
No, no, I didn't think so,
me with horns in my head,
-you with your shiny halo.
-Stop it, Elaine!
I think he has a right to know.
-You know, the woman who wants
to be their legal mother.
-Elaine!
How long were you Rory's
personal assistant before
you put the moves on him?
Was it a month, two months?
I mean you certainly
were with him years
before our marriage broke up.
But we don't talk
about that, do we?
Calum!
Are you happy now?
I let you and Rory
wipe me out of the picture,
I can't go on like that.
Hi, would you be
able pick me up?
[Elaine] Not nice is it,
feeling ashamed, feeling judged?
I never set out
to break up your marriage.
Maybe I did say it to knock
your halo off a bit.
I don't know how much
was my drinking and how much
the marriage
was in trouble anyway.
If you make Rory happy,
good luck to you.
I know it's hard seeing them
after all these years,
all the years you missed,
I get it.
I know you do.
I can see
how much you love them.
With all of my heart, Elaine,
with everything that's in me.
I was there for Calum's
nightmares after the fire.
Jacob's first day at school,
for birthday parties,
for football runs,
for everything, Elaine,
everything!
I tried to hold back at
the start, I told myself
I didn't give birth
to them,
I'm not their real mother.
But then I see them,
lost, confused
And I opened up my arms to them,
I let them run in
and I've held on ever since.
Why why haven't you had
I can't.
[phone buzzes]
[sighs] Look at your phone.
My guess is you got one too.
Thanks.
-Are you all right?
-Yeah.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
You can always go home now
that they found him, Jen.
You sure you want to be here?
I want to see where Dad
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
What's going on, Calum?
You okay?
You know, you can talk to me
about anything.
[Calum] Can you pull over?
I know they don't want
to tell me
that he has a brain tumour.
I found the scans on the
computer a couple months ago.
-You knew?
-Yeah, just today.
You know, I looked it up,
they like --
tumours affect behaviour.
I mean, I guess he's scared,
but I'm just so angry with him.
I think for pretending,
for making us all pretend
like everything's fine
when it's all gone to shit.
You don't know
what it's like being stuck
in the middle of someone else's
lies, pretending.
Believe me, I do,
I do know what it's like, Calum.
Did you know Mum and Dad
were together
while he was still married?
Yeah.
Yeah, they told us once
they were sure they wanted
to be together.
I didn't know.
Does it really make
any difference?
I don't know why,
but somehow it does.
You know,
no one can change the past,
but right now you have a chance
to spend some time with
your father on your own terms.
Try to remember the man
he was before the illness.
I try, I really do,
but then he starts on Jacob.
And it makes me
even more more mad at him.
I don't want to be angry
all the time.
No, I know, I know.
This is Denis' card.
I clocked his pin
when I met him at the airport.
Why would you do that?
A way out,
in case things got so bad.
Have things really been that bad
between you and your father?
I'm so sorry. Um
For what it's worth
your father's sorry too,
more than you could possibly
ever imagine, Calum.
Do you want to go
for a coffee or something?
I think I want to go home.
Okay.
[Elaine] Can I have one of
those?
Thanks.
I don't let the boys see me.
They've seen a lot worse.
Well, Calum's found,
but not with either of us.
Yep.
Right this minute we are both
shit mothers, the pair of us.
They used to be best buddies,
Rory and Calum, what changed?
I never-- I never saw him
raise a hand to either of them,
not even a tap.
Stress, long flight,
you saw a one-off.
I'm not sure I believe you.
Right now I don't care
if you believe me or not,
we're not likely
to be friends ever.
To be perfectly honest
I'm not sure I want that either.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
Why couldn't he love me,
the way he loved Anna and Grace?
He did love you, Jen,
in his way.
But I wasn't his own blood.
I took any crumb.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
I remember we'd come up here
after every Sunday lunch.
It's part of our lives.
He'd look around,
maybe not as grand
or as majestic as the Cliffs
of Moher, he'd say,
but these are my cliffs,
that's my sea.
Jesus, Frank,
he even owned the landscape.
And then Anna continued
the tradition with the boys
before they left.
They love that.
The girls stopped coming,
but I would hike up
here with him.
I was glad to have him
all to myself.
This is where he first asked me
to invest in Seaview.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
He said it would all be okay.
And I believed him.
[birds calling]
[door opens]
[Grace] Uh, we're closed.
Oh, it's you again.
Em, I didn't say it,
Grace, and I-I need to say it.
I wish
you felt you could tell me.
Like it must have been
hell at that age
to go through that alone.
Well, I wasn't alone.
No he doesn't count.
It It should have been me.
I've been laid in bed
the last few nights
and it's all I can think about
you know like,
if that's what you wanted,
then it should have been me
there with you.
And it should have been me
there with you to take you home.
And I can't imagine
it's any help now,
but I-I want you to know that.
It does help, actually.
We, uh, we had some good
times too, didn't we?
That time you taught me
to surf, well half surf,
whenever I get the hang of it.
Well, I'll-- I'll get out
of your hair.
Joe
I'll go to your dinner.
Tell Cathy I'll be there.
You're in so much trouble.
Where's Dad?
Come on you.
Me?
Why do I have to come?
Cause I'm asking you to.
Alright, fine.
But just so you know,
it was Dad crashed the car.
Going out to look for you.
He's going to be pissed.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
[Anna] Hello?
-Is he here?
-[Val] Anna!
Listen, listen, why don't you
leave them alone for a minute?
Are you all right?
Look, Mum, I'm sorry about
No, no, please forget it,
I'm sorry, I shouldn't
have said what I did,
I'm so sorry.
Rory's told me.
[whimpers]
You know I'll do
everything I can to
get your money back,
but would the father
not help out at all?
I don't think that's how
sperm donation works, Frank.
That's definitely
how you conceived, is it?
It's complicated, Frank.
Maybe it's just easier
to say the sperm bank thing.
Stops questions.
It's a very small part
of the world,
nothing stays a secret for long.
If there is a father,
one of these days
there's gonna be a bang
on the door and there'll
he be standing there.
[phone buzzes]
It's from Mum, she's doing
dinner for everyone tonight.
Drop me back at my place
will you, I'm in no mood
for family dinner.
I think I'll head home myself.
-[waves crashing]
-[birds calling]
[phone rings]
-[Carl on phone] Hey, Val.
-Hey, listen, I'm sorry.
I should have got back
to you, but the day
just ran away with me.
No, no, as long as Rory
and Calum are all right. Uh
So what time, what time
should we expect you here?
What?
Listen, I'm so sorry,
I'm just-- I'm fixing dinner
here for everyone now.
You said you were eating
with us tonight.
I know, I know, but things
just got ahead of me.
Listen, I-I promise I will
be there tomorrow, okay.
I will be with you tomorrow.
You're with your family,
I get it.
Carl?
Anna, why didn't you
tell me about Rory?
What could you have done?
Well, I could have helped, no?
My husband's dying, Mam.
You can't take that away from
me and make it not real.
No, I know, but I can take away
the part where you have to
weather it all alone.
I mean, for God's sake,
just just let me.
We couldn't tell people
about the tumour.
Why not?
Who Who did that help?
We need Elaine to sign us
over the boys,
before she hears he's dying
and claims them herself.
My God!
That's why we got married.
You didn't tell me
because you knew I'd tell
you that that was wrong.
Wrong isn't even the word, Anna!
I don't know anymore
what's wrong.
[Val] Can you just think
about this?
You cannot cheat those boys
away from Elaine like that.
On every level
this is not right,
I mean, you must know that.
-They're everything I have.
-No, you're not thinking
straight.
We will talk
about this tomorrow.
But tonight what you need
is to sit at our table
and be surrounded by the
people that love you, Anna.
I think what we need is
to get out of this house.
Ah for God's sake.
Anna, please,
after the day we've had
I'm trying to bring us together.
We need to get out of here.
I'm going to town,
get pizza or whatever.
-Ah, please don't
-Look, Mam, I want to.
I want to spend time with them.
While I still have any.
[phone buzzes]
[waves crashing]
[Jen] See you, Frank.
Kevin.
I hope they lock you up
and throw away the key!
And if I see a sign
in the sky tonight
No one's gonna tell me
it's a trick of the light
May never come
but I'm willing to wait
What can I say?
I'm a man of the faith
And there's an ocean
in my body
And there's a river
in my soul
And I'm crying
And we carry the sun