The Doll Factory (2023) s01e04 Episode Script

1
SILAS: Ugh.
MADAME: I know what you've done.
MADAME: Silent, starey Silas.
ALBIE: Mr Silas has been
watching my friend too.
Maybe we can help each other.
GIDEON: I'm told that this is your shop.
This is perverse.
FEMALE VOICE [OS]: So how's Rose?
Next time you're in the shop
will you tell her that I miss her?
LOUIS [OS]: This Guigemar,
kneeling at a woman's feet is just so
IRIS [OS]: Derivative.
IRIS: Tell a different story.
LOUIS: I'm painting her escape.
HUNT [OOV]: Do you
object to Shakespeare now?
LOUIS [OS]: No it's just
this courtly love dog shit,
it's getting boring.
FEMALE VOICE [OS]: She's
out-painting you brother.
LIZZIE: Have you
decided if you'll submit?
IRIS: Louis doesn't think I'm ready.
SILAS: I've been accepted
in to the great exhibition.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
[EERIE MUSIC]
IRIS: I thought you were planning
on just using butterflies.
SILAS: There isn't time to catch enough.
IRIS: Silas, you don't
seem yourself tonight.
SILAS: There was
there was a woman here,
she accused me of a horrible thing.
Keep hoping that it will change,
this perception people form of me,
but, like I never seem
to say the right thing,
do the right thing.
IRIS: What do you mean?
SILAS: Don't know how
to make people like me.
IRIS: I like you.
I know you'll finish on time.
And I know your exhibits
tomorrow will be such a success.
SILAS: You've so much faith in me.
IRIS: You're like me, you won't
let the opportunity pass you by.
SILAS: What about your opportunity?
D'you still think Louis Frost
is the man to give it to you?
IRIS: It's getting late.
SILAS: No, Iris, Iris don't
[DOOR BELL JINGLES]
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
[TENSE MUSIC]
MAN IN THE STREET: Excuse me.
MAN [OOV]: Careful with
that, boys, it's priceless.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
IRIS: I've decided
I'm going to submit my self-portrait
to the Royal Academy along with you all.
I'm determined.
HUNT: Look, I beg you,
just employ some reason
and use your eyes.
MAN: Of course, sir.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
LIZZIE: Iris, could you
come with me a moment please?
MAN: Hunt, why do you look so stressed?
LIZZIE: I'm so sorry.
I know how hard you worked on it.
IRIS: Why are you the
one telling me this?
LIZZIE: Well, you
know what they're like.
Although I suppose
you've been around before.
At exhibition time they
can just go a bit
like nothing else exists.
But Louis, he feels dreadful about it.
Really.
Apparently he completely lost it
when he found out what Guin did.
IRIS: Guinevere did this?
LIZZIE: You and Louis, have
you talked about marriage?
Gabriel is just constantly
promising the world
and then going back on it.
His his sister visited our apartment
and he made me hide on the balcony.
Like for an hour.
But Clarissa knows about you.
IRIS: I don't know that
she knows specifically.
LIZZIE: Oh, she knows.
Do you want to get married?
[SOUNDS AMPLIFIED]
IRIS: I
LIZZIE: Oh, of course you do.
You're clever. I'm just
romantic.
Anyway, your painting,
Louis feels dreadful about it.
IRIS: You said.
[HORSE WHINNIES]
LOUIS: I can already
read Dickens' critique,
"Oh, my, her lips
slightly parted, so red".
God.
Can you imagine if Millais'
Marianna is on the line
and my Guigemar's Queen isn't?
Oof.
I know, I am pathetic.
IRIS: Yes, you are.
How dare you send
Lizzie as your messenger?
LOUIS: I know.
It was unforgivable of me.
I never should've left
it within her reach.
I hate myself for it, please believe me,
I hate myself for letting her get to it.
IRIS: And then today in the studio,
you said nothing.
LOUIS: Well I didn't know what to say.
IRIS: In front of everybody.
LOUIS: They'd all they
all knew what she'd done.
I couldn't bear your disappointment.
Please forgive me.
I feel dreadful about
it, please, forgive me.
Hm?
I'm sorry.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
IRIS: Louis, do you ever
think about our future?
LOUIS: Constantly, yes.
IRIS: And what do you imagine?
LOUIS: Erm, more of
the same, but better.
LOUIS: Iris, come on.
Iris, I was up all night,
all this talk about Guinevere.
Do Iris.
Iris, come back.
Iris. Iris!
[SILVERWARE CLINKING]
[MUSIC BUILDS]
IRIS: [PANTING]
[DOG BARKING]
ALBIE: You've got beautiful teeth.
I'll probably get
Waterloo teeth, cheaper.
Don't you think it'd be such an honour
to have a soldier's teeth?
A soldier's smile. It's
even cheaper for porcelain.
But it's worth spending
that tiny bit extra,
it's less likely to crack.
MADAME: Can't keep
following Silas forever.
ALBIE: I know every shortcut
and dark corner in this town.
MADAME: But what happens
if he does something?
ALBIE: I'll stop him.
MADAME: Yeah, I'm sure one day you will,
when you've got your Waterloo teeth.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Albie. You know you can trust me.
Well, I've got an idea. But
it might scare you a bit.
SILAS: And that, my sweet,
is why you should not flutter
in the face of a passing lady.
She'll not think twice of swatting you,
in competition to be the prettiest.
We do not let our
opportunities pass us by.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[WONDROUS MUSIC]
ATTENDANT: Sir! This way please.
Now.
SILAS: This is is
my exhibiting space?
ATTENDANT: You've the
rest of the hour to set up.
SILAS: I [CLEARS THROAT]
I, er, was accepted by
Thomas Filigree himself.
In in to the zoological section.
ATTENDANT: Yes, item 297.
SILAS: Er, I I had expected
something a little grander.
ATTENDANT: I know what you mean.
I don't expect Queen Victoria will be
taking a turn down this particular wing,
but don't worry, I don't
think she'll miss ya.
[DOOR BELL JINGLES]
ROSE: Can I help you, ma'am?
IRIS: Dead or alive?
ROSE: Alive, I think.
Mrs Salter will be back soon.
IRIS: I'm going to the Great
Exhibition this afternoon.
Would you like to join me?
ROSE: Why would I go anywhere with you?
IRIS: I'll buy your ticket.
ROSE: How generous.
Is that why you're here?
To rub your dirty money in my face.
IRIS: No.
ROSE: Well, I wouldn't take
anything that's been owned
by you laying on your back.
IRIS: Rose, don't talk to me like that.
ROSE: What, the
artist's not fucking you?
IRIS: Maybe I'm fucking him.
We paint, we have
conversations. He's my
ROSE: He's your what?
You know, there's a
great tradition of sluts
with good conversation skills.
You're not the first.
You might feel like he's giving you
everything you've ever dreamed
of right now, but remember,
that just means he can take it
all away whenever it suits him.
IRIS: He won't.
I know you've been spying on me,
in my lodgings, the
other night by the fire.
ROSE: Your lodgings?
IRIS: If your intention
was to scare me
ROSE: Well, I wouldn't be
caught dead in that whore house.
IRIS: I saw you.
- ROSE: You've gone mad.
- IRIS: You're so jealous.
ROSE: Don't you lecture
me about jealousy.
You're the jealous one, you.
Or did you think you were
invisible all those times,
peeping behind the keyhole?
You couldn't bear it
when I was beautiful.
When somebody loved me.
IRIS: That's not true.
ROSE: You waited until
I looked like a monster.
IRIS: I what are you talking about?
ROSE: Charles.
You wanted him to see me at my worst.
IRIS: I didn't.
ROSE: Iris, you took him to my sickbed.
You ruined everything.
He was gonna marry me but
he didn't because of you.
Because you wanted
him to see me like that
because you're jealous.
You're jealous. Jealous. Jealous.
Jealous.
IRIS: Rose, I thought you were dying.
MRS SALTER: What in God's name
is that demon doing in my house?
Out, devil.
ROSE: Out, devil.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[DOOR BELL JINGLES]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
LADY: Quite remarkable.
GENTLEMAN: Mm. Take a note of his name.
Maybe we'll get him to
make a little something
for your cabinet.
SILAS: I am Silas Reed.
GENTLEMAN: Lovely work, monsieur.
SILAS: Thank you. Thank you.
[CHILDREN GIGGLING]
[WARM ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC]
MAN: Are those butterflies?
Absolutely wonderful.
IRIS: You're like me.
You won't let the
opportunity pass you by.
LOUIS: I've got something to show you.
Come on. Come on.
Guinevere, now remind
me, disgraced creature,
where did you want us to go again?
Hm. Really? Well, that's interesting.
Okay, sure. She wants us to go upstairs.
[LAUGHS]
[SOFT MUSIC]
Forward, right and turn.
Go on. Keep going.
Alright, stop, stop.
Now, Guinevere seems to think
that half this place is for you.
Though how she got the
money for the paints
is anyone's guess really.
[CHUCKLES]
They're your favourite toffees.
They're from the erm, the
vendor on the South Bank.
I hear tell that the box itself
is sort of magically refilling,
and you'll never be without.
This is yours.
Your space. Inside mine, but all yours.
You'll paint a dozen
peerless compositions here.
Hundreds, thousands of them.
I want to keep you here, forever.
Will you?
IRIS: What are you asking me?
LOUIS: Did I say something wrong?
IRIS: I don't have a studio without you.
I don't have a career without you.
I don't even have any
paintbrushes without you.
It's wonderful for you
to give me all of this.
But you can take it all away,
whenever it might suit you.
Marry me then.
Louis.
LOUIS: I wish that I could.
I wish that I could, please believe me.
It's a parade, a circus based on
a piece of paper, not a feeling.
This is contrary to
our beliefs of freedom,
and they are politics
that I know that you share.
IRIS: I like freedom
as much as the next man.
It's just a shame I'm not one.
LOUIS: We if if it's a contract
that you need, then we can draw one up.
Not a wedding but
something more in the spirit
of what we both believe.
And we we can write it
ourselves, a manifesto of us.
And Lizzie, she she
could be the celebrant.
That feels appropriate, don't you think?
And would you be totally opposed
to Guinevere as a bridesmaid?
Maybe.
IRIS: After everything she's done.
LOUIS: Well, if you can forgive her.
SILAS: First you must cut in to a place
where the stitching won't be noticed.
It's funny, you realise
quite soon that skin,
it comes away from
the flesh quite easily,
almost as though it
were made to be peeled.
FATHER: Let's go.
[CLOCK TICKING]
SILAS: May I interest you
GIDEON: Very impressive.
Did you see the Queen?
SILAS: From from a distance.
GIDEON: Are you waiting on something?
SILAS: Someone.
My er, my friend Iris,
I bought her a ticket for today.
GIDEON: The one from the Dolphin?
The one you were fighting over?
SILAS: The situation's
slightly complicated.
GIDEON: I er, we, brought you a gift,
the way we spoke when
I visited your shop,
it was regrettable.
You are clearly a talented man, Silas.
It was wrong of me to judge you
for circumstances
outside of your control.
So, to celebrate your achievement here.
SILAS: What is it?
GIDEON: Something I know
only you would appreciate.
But, no one can know
that I gave this to you.
My training would be
I shouldn't have taken it.
Let's just say that.
SILAS: Human?
GIDEON: Open it.
Go on.
[SINISTER MUSIC]
Enjoy your dinner.
Stick to what you know, Mr Reed.
We don't need to see you at UCL again.
Hope your sweetheart turns up on time.
CLEANER: Did you do them?
SILAS: Mm.
CLEANER: Don't know why
people like stuff like that.
IRIS: [MOANING]
[FOOTSTEPS PASSING]
SILAS: Where have you been?
ALBIE: You won't believe what I found.
SILAS: One of my butterflies?
Well, it's too late now!
ALBIE: Well, you'll be so happy
with what I've brought you now, sir.
SILAS: Hey! Albie!
You were not invited down here.
ALBIE: But I've such a treat for you.
[CLATTERING]
It must've escaped out of its cage
from some fancy lady's house.
I saw it and I thought,
"Mr Silas would like that".
[TENSE MUSIC]
- SILAS: Out!
- ALBIE: [GASPS]
[PEACEFUL MUSIC]
LIZZIE [OOV]: Let's toast
to a successful exhibition.
ROSETTI [OOV]: Well,
it's only successful
when you can see the paintings.
HUNT [OOV]: They practically
hung me in the rafters last year.
Well, we know Wonder Boy
will be on the line at least.
ROSETTI: Where the fuck is he?
LIZZIE: He's probably already there.
LOUIS: He's probably just
sucking up to the critics.
you know what he's like.
ROSETTI: We're supposed
to be a brotherhood.
HUNT: We are. We are.
Come on. Come on. Frost, on your feet.
LOUIS: Thank you.
LIZZIE: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
LOUIS: In your own time.
ROSETTI: Come on, Elizabeth.
HUNT: Gentlemen, ladies.
- ROSETTI: To beauty.
- LOUIS: Mm.
ROSETTI: To
- HUNT: Oh.
- MILLAIS: Ah.
LIZZIE: Ah.
- LOUIS: I see.
- MILLAIS: there was a party.
- LOUIS: There was a party!
- HUNT: Get over here.
- ROSETTI: Finally.
- MILLAIS: I'm sorry.
LIZZIE: Come on, Millais,
come join your comrades.
ROSETTI: Finally, the
brotherhood is complete.
To beauty.
- To freedom.
- HUNT: To freedom.
- ROSETTI: To truth.
- LOUIS: To truth.
MILLAIS: To to being on the line.
EVERYONE: Yes! Yes! Yes!
[EXCITING MUSIC]
MILLAIS: Oh, fuck, there's Dickens.
Miserable old bastard.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
IRIS: How many galleries are there?
LOUIS: I don't know. We should fan out,
take a gallery each.
MILLAIS: I don't think we
should split up, should we?
HUNT: Goddamn it, this will take hours.
ROSETTI: Surely they've
hung us together.
LOUIS: Well, if they've hung us at all.
MILLAIS: Look, here is a
map, Frost, don't panic.
[MUSIC CRESCENDOS]
LADY: Isn't that you?
In the painting.
It is you.
GENTLEMAN: Is Louis Frost
here? Is he with you?
IRIS: Erm
IRIS: Louis! Louis, I found it.
LOUIS: Really?
HUNT: Where are they? Come on.
[EXCITED CHATTER AND LAUGHTER]
MALE VOICE [OOV]: Lizzie!
Sorry. Excuse me.
There, there! Lizzie.
- ROSETTI: Muah. Beautiful.
- [APPLAUSE]
GIDEON: Congratulations.
LOUIS: Thank you.
I love you.
MALE VOICE [OOV]:
Incredible. Just incredible.
MALE VOICE [OOV]: You've
done it. For the brotherhood.
[LAUGHTER]
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
MADAME: He's gone. You ready?
I'll keep a lookout out front.
Anything that belonged
to Bluebell, alright?
ALBIE: If it's in there I'll find it.
[APPLAUSE AND INDISTINCT CHATTER]
ADMIRER: It's magnificent, Frost.
Magnificent also.
There's no mistaking her.
Are you for sale too?
[LAUGHTER]
MALE [OOV]: Nothing you can afford, sir.
ROSETTI: Mr Boddington. Mr Boddington
sorry has expressed an interest
in acquiring your Guigemar's Queen.
IRIS: You're selling it?
MR BODDINGTON: I must
say, I admire this piece.
Intensely.
ROSETTI: Intensely.
MR BODDINGTON: What's your price?
LOUIS: Oof, well, I,
I wouldn't part for
it for less than 400.
IRIS: £400?
HUNT: Quite right, Iris.
500. This is a masterpiece.
Even that's generous.
- IRIS: Louis. Louis.
- HUNT: You can afford it.
LOUIS: Go and get some
air. It's hot in here.
MALE [OOV]: You're the talk of the town.
LOUIS: Find Lizzie.
ROSETTI: Frosty, pay attention.
This man is trying to rob you.
LOUIS: Ugh.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
ELDER SISTER: You're Guigemar's Queen.
YOUNGER SISTER: I don't
recognise your face.
Have you been used by anyone else?
IRIS: No, I don't
ELDER SISTER: How did
Louis frost discover you?
IRIS: I'm sorry, but I
YOUNGER SISTER: Are you lovers?
Oh, you can tell us. We are such fans.
[EERIE MUSIC]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
LIZZIE: Are you delighted?
IRIS: Hm? Mm.
No, thank you.
LIZZIE: God, I remember
my first time on the line.
I was so critical of my
hair and my skin and my eyes,
and I hated all of it.
But, what a triumph.
IRIS: Don't you think it
feels less like a gallery
and more like a brothel in here?
LIZZIE: God, you sound like my mother.
[LAUGHS]
IRIS: She's like my twin,
like me and nothing like me.
I feel like I've trapped her in there.
LIZZIE: There aren't
many nights like this,
so just try and enjoy it.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
[DOOR BELL JINGLES]
ALBIE: [GASPING]
MADAME: Albie, take my hand.
I thought he'd come
back, but it wasn't him.
ALBIE: It's Bluebell's.
MADAME: It was him.
SILAS: Hello.
Been waiting all night to see you.
IRIS: I'm sorry, there's
been a lot of people
to speak with this evening.
SILAS: Of course.
IRIS: Are you here to see the paintings?
SILAS: I've seen your painting.
IRIS: Please excuse me,
it's been a long day.
SILAS: Why didn't you come?
I sent you a ticket.
The cost was very dear.
No, no, no, sorry doesn't cut it,
sorry doesn't cut it this time, Iris!
IRIS: Excuse me?
What did you just say?
How do you know my name?
How do you know my name?
SILAS: I
IRIS: How do you know my name, sir?
SILAS: [BREATHING ERRATICALLY]
IRIS: You can call me Iris.
Did you make everything in here?
Well, it's magnificent.
Well, it's magnificent.
SILAS: Can I show you something special?
I'll send you a ticket.
IRIS: I would like that very much.
SILAS: I'd like that very much.
IRIS: You can call me Iris.
I'm so happy for you.
You truly deserve it.
Well, it's magnificent.
SILAS: Don't know how
to make people like me.
IRIS: I like you.
How do you know my name?
How do you know my name?
IRIS: How do you know my name, sir?
SILAS: It's getting late.
It's not safe for you to
be out here on your own.
I'll take you home.
[EERIE MUSIC]