Territory (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

Be with me.
I'll take this place and I'll give it
right back to you, where it belongs.
[Colin] She's a Hodge.
She doesn't want you.
She wants this place.
Who are these blokes?
[Marshall] They've got
some serious connections.
We get in their business, they'll fuck us.
I want to be on the land.
You're gonna run this place?
Become the boss?
[Susie] Maybe.
[auctioneer] How about 22,000?
That's the way to buy 'em
and turn the water on.
[Rich] I know something's going on.
Rich. Nothing's going on.
You're a liar.
- [Nolan] You wanna be a cattleman?
- Yeah.
Them calves?
Make sure they get fed and have water.
Sandra? What's the offer?
[Sandra] A port right here.
And a road leading to it.
You chucking me a boiled lolly, Sandra?
I'm giving you an opportunity.
[Emily] What do you want?
- [Graham grunts]
- [Emily] You want his respect?
Run Marianne?
Take care of Suse and me?
Whatever it is,
you've got to fight for it.
Hey! Hey, hey.
[people shouting]
[Bryce] Hey! You used to be
part of this community.
Where's that boy now?
He grew up.
You Marshall Lawson?
Who are you?
My boss wants a chat.
- [Rich] Run!
- [Sharnie grunts]
- Rich!
- Take Sharnie and go!
[grunts]
That a saddle? Where'd you find that?
[Nolan] Uncle Bryce.
Got it from a fella in a trade.
They reckon it came from Hodge's place.
Hank.
You come in here
pointing a shooter at people?
Not people.
Just you, Hank.
- Dad!
- Susie!
[gun fires]
[inmates shouting indistinctly]
[man speaking indistinctly over PA]
Graham, Hank has said that
he knows nothing about the saddle.
And you believe him?
Yeah, I do.
I saw both of them in there with you.
[chuckles] Your brother and Miller.
You should have seen the look on your face
when you were with Campbell.
You know, I saw the way
that you were touching him
Can I ask you something?
Be honest.
Did you marry me just to get the station?
I need to know.
Fuck you.
I've done nothing but love you
and try to fucking help you.
- I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry.
- [scoffs]
Em, hey, I'm sorry.
You gotta get me out of here.
You gotta get me out of here.
I can't I can't stay in here.
There's nothing I can do, Graham.
Talk to Dad, get him to pull some strings,
- we'll just
- You don't understand.
I cannot fix this.
Two fucking inches closer
and you could have killed our daughter.
If you're not careful,
you're not gonna get out of here.
- What am I supposed to do?
- I don't know.
Okay, please, don't
And I don't fucking care.
Don't leave me in here, Emily.
Emily. Emily!
Let's go.
[man] Marshy!
Where are you, bruv?
Come on, mate!
Anything?
[Sharnie] Looks like the same crew
from the meatworks.
How do you reckon they found us?
Rich.
Who would they be working for?
I don't know.
And I don't think I want to find out.
[engine whirring]
They'll be looking for us
along the main road,
so, we'll stick to Marianne Station now.
We drive along this northern border,
we'll get to Queensland in two days.
- Sharnie.
- We didn't even fight for Rich.
We just left him there. We betrayed him.
We were lucky to get away ourselves.
And he ended up ratting us out anyway.
No, I'm not talking about that.
Before that
It was just a kiss.
I do love you, though.
I've always just wanted
to be there for you.
Not him.
Are you insane?
You can't love me, Marshall.
I'm sorry, I do.
I can't help it. It's just how I feel.
Hey, Sharnie.
Sharnie, stop! Sharnie!
[Sharnie screams]
[birds squawking]
[Susie] Pop, call the Chief Minister.
Just pull some strings
to get him out of there.
It's not Dad's fault.
It's the grog, it's a disease.
Pop, please! He's your only son now.
I called the coppers.
Told them to throw the book at him.
Why did you do that?
Nothing else has helped him.
Maybe this will be the making of him.
He's an addict.
Pop, he'll die in there.
Then that's the way it goes.
Why are you still here, Suse?
Father's in jail.
Mother's walked off.
This is my home.
[cattle mooing]
What's all this?
I bought these bulls with my money.
Their DNA is going to fix our herd.
That's what I'm doing here.
What the fuck are you doing here?
[birds squawking]
Uncle.
This little shit here set fire
to my brand new Toyota. A 120 grand!
I give him a job,
this how he repays me. Hmm?
[Bryce] Is it true? Mayi? Hmm?
Stand up! Get up!
Get up!
You don't go burning another person's car.
Okay?
Fuck his Cruiser.
Okay.
Come here.
You, you and you. Flog him!
[Dezi grunting]
Hey, stop it. All of you.
Stop, stop, stop, that's enough.
- Get off. Get off him. Get off.
- [Dezi panting]
Stand there.
You want him punished or not?
Not like that.
- Well, then, take him.
- I don't want him.
He gets his punishment and that's it.
[Keeley] Enough!
How do you reckon this plays, all of you
fighting around like mangy camp dogs?
Don't you care how we look?
Sandra's here.
What deal are you doing?
[Keeley] Take Dezi.
Just get him out of here.
Please?
[Nolan exhales]
[bird screeching]
- [metal creaking]
- [engine hissing]
[Sharnie groans]
[Marshall] You all right?
Yeah.
[helicopter blades whirring]
Shit.
Who the fuck are these people?
[gun cocks]
Marsh
[Marshall] It's a spotter.
They're onto us.
We need to get out of here.
Well, we can't go that way,
there'll be crocs.
Well, let's head up there.
Grab your gun.
[Sharnie groaning]
[birds calling]
[cattle mooing]
[keypad dialing]
[cell phone ringing]
Hello, Nolan.
[Nolan] How am I supposed to fatten up
these cows, Sandra? Huh?
These weaners aren't even
close to 300 kilos.
Well underweight.
Your people unloaded them,
then left.
You You squeezed me on the contract
and now this, I'm right on the margin!
You know that's normal in these types
of ajistment arrangements.
Within reason! Sandra, I've got
I've got everything on the line here.
800 grand.
I'm taking all the risks,
- you're getting all the reward!
- No.
You're getting a port out of this.
And you're complaining to me
about some cows?
If they're a little underweight,
you work harder.
If you're as good a cattleman
as you say you are,
it shouldn't be a problem, now should it?
What deal are you doing with the TOs?
Bye, Nolan.
[line disconnects]
[door buzzes and opens]
[inmates shouting indistinctly]
[door buzzes and locks]
[Morgan snoring]
[sniffles]
[Morgan continues snoring]
[groans softly]
[Morgan] What are you in for?
Take something?
Or hurt someone?
Every second you push through
is another second.
It's not so bad.
- [blows landing]
- [man screams]
[birds chirping]
[Sharnie grunts]
There's a cave back there.
That's good.
Hey, what's this?
Is that them?
[Sharnie] Nah, that's something else.
They're not coming this way.
Maybe mining.
[Marshall] Yeah, maybe.
- You got water?
- [Sharnie] Yeah.
[bird calling]
[groans softly]
[grunts]
- [Hank] You stay as long as you like, sis.
- [Emily] Hmm.
I've spent the past two decades of my life
trying to keep Marianne Station afloat.
I'm not walking away now.
I just need a plan.
Why would the Traditional Owners
say the saddle came from your place?
If I found a horse and saddle,
I would return it.
I'm not a complete prick.
Well, someone found it.
Instead of returning it to us,
they played this bloody trick.
So, the Traditional Owners
go with Nolan, you reckon?
[Emily] Yeah.
They said they traded for it
out near the western ridgeline.
That's Elton's country out there.
Mad recluse bastard.
How would I find him?
You don't find Elton,
you go out to that northern escarpment,
you light a campfire.
He'll find you.
[soft music playing]
- We celebrating something?
- Uh
Being one step closer
to closing quite an important deal.
One that Colin Lawson
won't be very happy about.
Uh, you do know I'm seeing Susie Lawson.
Seeing?
Is that a problem?
- Of course not.
- Except that you hate her family.
I don't hate anyone apart from Colin.
So, you wanna destroy him.
I don't [chuckles]
I don't need to destroy him.
A man like that destroys himself.
The whole family's imploding.
You only have to wait five minutes,
there'll be a fire sale!
Unless Susie takes over.
She knows her genetics.
She's rejuvenating the whole herd.
She's got a 20-year breeding plan.
Mmm. She sounds impressive.
Are you serious about her?
- Hey, I love you, too.
- [laughs]
I was very content being
the only woman in your life but
Well, if she makes you happy
happier
Mum.
[chuckling] What?
You do know If I marry Susie,
that's one way for you to get Marianne.
- Ha-ha.
- [kisses]
[fire crackling]
[animals calling]
You know
A lot of people would kill to have
what you're trying to get away from.
Yeah.
So, why are you doing it?
Well, it's not just one reason, it's like
That's who they are.
I mean, you've seen them, right?
And everywhere I go,
that's how people see me.
As a Lawson.
They either want to suck up
to me or punch me out.
[Sharnie laughs]
And they don't even know me.
Yeah.
And when I met you and Rich,
that was the first time in my life
I felt like all that was gone.
My dad
left when I was seven.
So, my sisters, Mum
Everyone had jobs.
[chuckles softly]
My sister got engaged
to a brickies laborer.
And my mum
turns to me and goes
"You're next, Sharn." [chuckles]
And I just
I wanted to see what else was out there.
You know
The very first moment I saw you
I knew you felt the same.
Like, we could be
more.
[chuckles]
[Marshall] This was my Mum's.
My dad gave it to her when she was 18.
[chuckling] Really?
Hold it.
I want you to have it.
- Marsh, I can't take
- I don't care what you say.
I love you.
I love you, too.
[chuckles softly]
[bird squawking]
- [cattle mooing]
- [men whistling]
Once you're finished
mucking out the stables,
make sure the water troughs
are full, okay?
Hey.
- Tex. Oi, Tex.
- [gun cocks]
What are you doing?
Oh, some veal, boss.
Its mother abandoned it.
This calf. This is yours.
Because of you, its mother rejected it.
So, you either shoot it
or you look after it.
Nah. I can't shoot that.
[Nolan] All right, good.
Tex.
We'll be back in a few days.
[groaning softly]
[inmates shouting indistinctly]
[Graham shuddering]
[Morgan] "Our Andy's gone with cattle now
Our hearts are out of order
With drought he's gone to battle now
- Across the Queensland border"
- [Graham repeating]
- [Morgan] "The gates are out of order now
- are out of order now
In storms the 'riders' rattle
For far across the border now
Our Andy's gone with cattle"
[bird squawking]
[groans]
It's a family group.
It was a massacre.
Why are the bones still there?
Why weren't they buried?
I don't know, Sharnie.
[Sharnie] Isn't all this Lawson land?
I've never been here before.
[vehicle approaching]
It's them.
[Marshall] Be careful.
[men chattering indistinctly]
Almost.
[Marshall] Shit.
[Sharnie] How did they find us?
[Marshall] There's so many of them.
Shit.
[Sharnie] We never should have
stolen those cattle.
What are they gonna do?
Are they going to kill us?
[Marshall] Fuck it,
we're going to have to fight.
- [guns firing]
- [Sharnie grunts]
Shit.
- Come on!
- [Sharnie] Fuck them! They're psychos.
- [Sharnie grunts]
- [gunfire continues]
Come back here. Come back.
Stay down. Stay down.
Shit!
What about the cave?
No, we'll be trapped.
No!
[gasping]
Get down!
[Sharnie whimpering]
Sharn. Stay down! Stay down!
[gunfire continues]
[panting]
[dialing]
Stay down, Sharnie.
[panting and grunting]
[Marshall] Sharnie, stay down!
[phone ringing]
- Hello?
- [Marshall] Emily, it's Marshall.
We're being shot at.
We need your help now.
- Where are you, Marsh?
- The northern border escarpment.
- Stay down, Sharnie!
- I'm running out of ammo, Marsh!
- Marsh! Who's shooting at you?
- Don't get up!
Hold on!
[Sharnie panting]
Marshall!
[helicopter engine starting]
- [gun fires]
- [both grunt]
- [gun cocks]
- [yells]
[Sharnie whimpering]
Marsh.
It's all right. We're gonna be all right.
Shit.
[helicopter blades whirring]
Jesus Christ.
[gunfire continues]
[Marshall] It's been Miller's operation
this whole fucking time.
[man] Let's go.
We're gonna run for it, all right?
- Ready?
- Yeah.
Shit.
[Sharnie screams]
[Marshall] Sharnie!
Stay low.
Hey! Stop firing!
- [gasps]
- No!
[panting]
Sharnie!
Sharnie!
- [gun fires]
- [grunts]
Fuck.
[Campbell] Oi!
- Stop fucking firing!
- [gunfire continues]
[helicopter engine turning off]
[whimpers]
[man over radio] I found the girl.
She's still breathing.
Yeah. Copy. Just hold.
What the fuck are you doing?
Just protecting my interests, Em.
By trying to kill kids?
[Marshall groaning]
Emily! [groaning]
Fuck! Fuck.
- Emily.
- [Emily] You all right?
[cries] Sharnie's dead.
Christ. What'd you guys do?
They stole our horse and cattle,
we tried to steal them back.
And they tried to fucking kill us.
- [Emily] Keep the pressure on it.
- [groaning]
Have you lost your mind?
That boy is a liability, Em.
I'm doing you a favor.
That boy is my son.
He's not your blood though, is he?
He'll end up with Marianne Station.
You'll be out.
Fuck, I thought that you'd gone legit,
but it was all just bullshit.
Come on, Em.
Everyone's screwing everyone
every fucking which way they can up here.
You know me. I just do it better, mate.
Yeah. Until you get found out.
[chuckles]
God, I love you.
But I'm not messing around anymore.
All right? I want you.
I want this station.
Christ, if I don't get it,
then Sandra Kirby will get it.
Is that what you want?
Faceless corporation running the joint?
No, I want it where it belongs,
with my family.
They're done, Em.
The Lawsons are done.
You want to keep your home,
everything you built?
Then let me give it to you.
Fuck those pricks.
You got that girl's blood on your hands.
The girl's still alive.
I want you to patch her up.
Send her back to Queensland.
I don't want her anywhere near Marshall.
If you stole Lawson cattle,
I want them all back.
Hey.
I won't wait forever, Em.
I love you. It might be you and me.
This time, we gotta be all or nothing.
Can you give me a hand?
- Come on.
- [Marshall groaning]
[man] Is he all right?
- Marsh!
- [Emily] He's been shot!
Hey, man. Let's get you inside.
- I'll get him inside.
- Easy.
- [Marshall groaning]
- Who was it?
Colin, doesn't matter.
- He's alive.
- [Susie] Get him on the couch.
I brought him back.
But I can't promise he'll stay.
[breathing weakly]
[objects clattering]
You're lucky to be alive.
[monitor beeping]
And if you're smart
you'll stay that way.
Wait.
Marshall?
He went home, back to Marianne.
Back to his family.
I'm sorry, sweetheart,
but he never came back for you.
[door opens, closes]
[Colin exhales]
You know, I lost my parents.
My brother.
My sister.
My wife.
Two sons.
Yeah, you got one, Pop.
But [cries]
[sniffles]
What's the point?
Son, you gotta find something you love
that's gonna be bigger
than just one person.
This place.
Land.
Been here a million years before us.
Be here a million more.
The place where Sharnie died.
There was a cave.
Skulls.
Who killed them?
Your grandfather?
Great-grandfather?
I honestly don't know.
Saw them once when I was barely your age.
Never went back.
You know, Marshall, the
one thing I've learned
in my thousand years of living,
you can't change a person.
Not deep down.
No matter how hard you try.
So, if you don't want to be here, son,
go.
I'm in.
I'll stay.
[horse whinnying]
[door buzzes and closes]
[inmates shouting indistinctly]
[door buzzes and closes]
[Morgan] Mmm.
I see you made some friends.
[groans softly]
You reckon you've hit rock bottom?
Well, I almost killed someone.
I'm in jail.
Now I gotta share a cell with you,
so, yeah, I reckon
I reckon I'm at rock bottom, mate.
You've got a long way to go, buddy.
You'll stay on the wagon for a while.
Then fall off.
Then on.
Then off.
Until you work out the shit
with your old man,
that's gonna be your life story.
You know him, do you, mate?
- [Morgan] No.
- [chuckles]
But I don't know a single alcoholic
who didn't have a shitty one.
- [men chattering]
- [cattle mooing]
Hey, Suse. Can you get someone else
to help with the bulls?
I'm gonna be gone for a couple days, okay?
[Susie] Mum, does Dad know about Marshall?
You gonna see him again?
No.
Do you think I should?
It's up to you, Susie.
We have to prove to Pop that we can do it.
That we can save Marianne.
Where are you off to?
Marianne Station.
I'm helping Susie out with a job.
Okay. Great.
You really have no problem with that?
If she can shake off her family history,
then she is the perfect partner for you.
What does that mean?
Well, her father's an alcoholic,
her mother's family
are a bunch of criminals,
and her grandfather, he's a total
He's not a very nice man.
He deserves everything
that's coming to him.
But Susie, you know,
maybe she's different.
The flower that rises above the weeds.
And with you by her side, baby boy.
She could be one of us.
Have fun.
[birds chirping]
They're good, aren't they?
Too good.
You overpaid.
We don't need the best bulls.
We just need anything that works.
Well, next time you can,
come to the sale with me.
Who's the second horse for?
[helicopter blades whirring]
I roped in some help.
[cattle mooing]
G'day, Mr. Lawson.
Young Kirby?
Any tips for droving them
down to the creek mob?
Tips?
Yeah.
Well, they're stud bulls. You can pat 'em,
but when you get to the heifers,
they're going to go nuts,
so, you stay out of their way.
[chuckling] Thanks, Pops.
Oi!
Fresh blood, Pops.
[bulls bellowing]
[horse snorts]
Fresh blood.
- [engine turns off]
- [birds squawking]
[door opens]
[door buzzes, opens]
[Morgan] Thanks, matey.
[Morgan moans softly]
What are you doing, mate?
[grunting softly]
80% ethanol.
Twenty bucks a shot.
No, mate.
And ten bucks a taster.
Matter of time, matey. Matter of time.
Smell it.
- No.
- Go on.
Stop.
- Just a little.
- Don't. Stop it.
- Go on, smell it.
- No, mate.
- Have a little suck, come on.
- Come on, mate.
Just a little suck.
Come on.
You know you want it.
Stop!
Hey, what are you doing?
Don't do that! Don't do
Don't do
Don't do it.
What did you do that for?
[grunts] Fuck.
[Morgan grunts]
[Graham] Fuck.
[Morgan laughing weakly]
You think you're different?
You're just like me.
[laughing]
You're just like me. You're me.
No, mate.
I'm nothing like you.
[Morgan continues laughing]
- [indistinct chatter]
- [cattle mooing]
- [Nolan] Oi, wake up.
- [upbeat music playing]
Fuck me.
- Lazy little shit.
- What's going on?
I'm gonna shoot that calf,
then I'm gonna shoot you.
Nah, don't. Listen.
Listen, okay?
I've done my job.
I've been feeding him twice a day.
Bullshit. That bucket's been empty
since yesterday.
Bucket? He doesn't drink out of a bucket.
I use a beer bottle.
See?
Look at him. All good. See?
Puttin' weight on? All right.
All right.
Bugger me. [chuckles]
No more sleeping on the job.
[sighs]
[birds squawking]
[Susie] A Kirby and a Lawson?
Our ancestors are probably
rolling in their graves right now.
[Lachie] Maybe not.
Mum thinks we're perfect for each other.
[Susie] Why is that?
Because if we hook up,
she gets her hands on Marianne?
No.
She really admires you.
For what?
For rising above your station.
Well, you are a Hodge.
It's not a great name in the Territory.
Everyone knows your uncle
made his money as a cattle thief.
Except I'm not a Hodge.
I'm a Lawson.
Well, okay, but your dad's in jail,
your brother's a crim,
and your grandfather's a psycho.
That's what Mum said.
So, you've discussed
all this with your mum?
My family's shortcomings?
Susie, we're worth a lot of money.
It makes sense that my mother
takes an interest in who I hook up with.
Lachie, I'm worth a lot of money, too.
But your family also has a lot of debt.
And there's no guarantee you'll inherit.
Are you serious?
I am the guarantee.
You and your mum,
you don't get it because land to you
is just something
that you buy and you sell.
But to us, it's about history
and the people and stories
and grass and soil.
And that's why
your mum is never gonna win.
It doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter who your family is
or who my family is.
I love you.
[chuckles]
Am I supposed to be grateful?
No.
You're supposed to
Do you know who your family is?
What they are?
I know who I am.
And I'm beginning to see who you are.
[scoffs]
I'm going home.
[Lachie mumbles]
[sighs]
[horse snorts]
[horse snorts]
Why have you got Daniel's horse?
Do you know what happened?
I saw it all.
Did you see who did it?
Yeah.
Who?
It was you.