Underground (2016) s01e04 Episode Script

1 Previously on Underground The thing's worth more than your life, boy! It's my fault if anybody gonna be punished, it's gonna be me (screams) JAY: Boy's of age on to becoming a man.
Now would be a good time for his father to be here.
ELIZABETH: Everything happened so fast.
I never gave any thought as to how our new roles would affect our everyday lives.
You sold my wife.
You think you're better than me, don't you? gal stick her nose up at me.
(Rosalee screaming) ROSALEE: Come on, we gotta run! He dead.
Mr.
Bill? Time to get on up now.
(gurgles, spits) (grunting weakly) (gurgling) MAN: Bill? You in there? (Bill gurgling loudly) Help! Help! We need some help in here! (footsteps approaching) I've seen death But the moss stays the same The drinking gourd Runs through the blue haze And one day Jesus' hand Will lead us to the promised land One day we will stand Rejoice in victory We fall down Ooh-ooh-ooh To look up Ooh-ooh-ooh Waiting to see Heaven's door.
(bells tinkling) (bell ringing in distance) Miss Mary complaining about her honey tea not being brought up yet.
All right, go get it ready for her.
Rosalee usually the one that I didn't ask who usually the one.
(bell continues ringing) Miss Ernestine, you know what the alarm's about? Never mind what's going on outside.
Plenty to worry about in here.
Like getting these windows open, so we can catch the cross breeze.
Have you seen Rosalee this morning? No, ma'am.
(bell stops) (dogs barking in distance) (hoofbeats approaching) LELAND: Hey! They want to see you at the overseer's.
JINX: at roll call.
Only one missing is that blacksmith.
TOM: How the hell did he even get off the grounds? JINX: Ain't sure, boss.
The boys down at the bridge, they ain't seen nothing.
Stine, I need you to patch Bill up best you can till the doc arrives.
That boy was limping, and you're telling me he just managed to slip past your men? JINX: We got the dogs out trying to pick up his scent.
We'll have his ass back here by nightfall.
TOM: For the sake of your job, you better! We're on lockdown till then.
I want eyes on every slave at all times.
Bill say anything when you found him? Uh, no, sir.
(wheezing) Hold on, now, I'm trying to help you.
(wheezing continues) Bill, what the hell happened in here? (gurgling) He gonna open that wound again he don't stop moving.
Hold him down so she can finish.
Bill, tell us what happened.
Why did Noah attack you? (wheezing softly) (whispers): Rosalee What did he say? (weakly but louder): Rosalee.
SAM: Heard they messed up Mr.
Bill real bad.
They had to run.
They took the harness.
We got to go, too.
Tonight.
Catch up with Noah.
Tell me you ain't thinking he's still out there waiting for us.
I know he is.
He wouldn't just leave me behind.
He done already left you behind.
He done left us all behind.
Ain't nobody going nowhere now.
Not with the whole plantation on lockdown.
I knew this whole thing was a bad idea.
You used to live with the Injuns, right? For a while, in my youth.
That's where you learned about tracking and hunting.
That's right.
And you taught my dad all that? I did.
You know what he does with it now? Your pa ever tell you that story about them two wolves? No, sir.
Inside each of us, there's these two wolves.
The evil one, he lives on anger, envy, greed, resentment and lies.
And the good wolf, he lives on peace and love, humility and truth.
Now, these two wolves, they're at war with each other.
But only one can survive.
Which one? The one you feed.
AUGUST: He knows how to read.
Seems like he's doing good with his schooling.
When I asked him why he hit the other boy, he had no answer.
I'm sure you understand why that's worrisome.
I'll talk to him.
Mr.
Pullman, if I may, it might take more than talk.
Children pick up their behavior from their parents.
Ben's mentioned you've been away a lot.
You won't need to concern yourself with my son from here on out.
Thank you, ma'am.
Good day.
Miss Charlotte would want him to finish some more schooling.
And if you ask me I didn't ask you.
Boy needs to learn a trade.
Land is dead, all the livestock's gone.
It's the only thing I've got left to give him.
He can handle it.
He ain't the only one I'm worried about.
Out there, you're gonna have to make choices.
And having your boy with you is gonna change the way you make them.
Ain't gonna change nothing.
(Josey and Wash talking nearby, objects clattering) JOSEY: That man, what was his name? WASH: Clyde.
Said he was gonna help us.
JOSEY: When'd any white folks try and help us, huh?! We need to get out of here.
JOHN: We need to stay calm.
That man cannot be reasoned with.
The things that he's saying he's unhinged.
All the more reason we need to remain calm.
Clyde will return for them soon.
We'll get it all sorted out.
But until then, let's just not try to agitate them any more.
Get your ass up here.
Get up! (grunts) Please, don't hurt him! Quiet! I knew you was lying to me.
Now I got the proof.
Found slave bills in the office.
Wash, hold that up! JOHN: No, that's not That's an abolitionist newspaper.
What? What's abolitionist? It's an article about freeing slaves, not capturing them.
Maybe you's confused.
Think I could forget anything about that day? Day they took my wife, huh? Nah, that was him right here.
You the one that sold Tempie.
And I want to hear you say it.
I have never owned or sold slaves.
- Stop lying to me.
- (panting) "I have always expected "to see abolition at the ballot-box, "renovating the political action - What the hell you doing? - "of the country "dispelling the sorcery influences "of party breaking asunder - Quiet! - WASH: He readin' this.
- Don't sound like no slave bill.
- "breaking asunder - JOSEY: He's making it up! - JOHN: "stirring up the torpid consciences of voters" - That fast? - Of course that fast! I think he telling the truth.
JOHN: "rescinding all laws solely" (yells) Come on, everybody just calm down! (gasps) I'm so tired I could barely see straight.
(panting): And I'm mighty hungry.
And I'm sure that they got plenty of food.
Huh? (quietly): Josey why don't we get something for our stomachs and talk this all through before we do something we regret.
(panting) - Food? - Yeah.
Food.
Yeah.
All right, Wash.
I hear you.
I always wanted to dine like the white folks do.
(indistinct chatter in distance) (horse neighs in distance) Miss Susanna told me to come down for them animals you made for the mobile.
I got some, somewhere over here.
Tell me what you know about that Noah.
- Not much.
- She ain't do this on her own.
I know he filled her head with runnin'.
She's not a little girl anymore, Mama Were they together at that dance? Maybe.
I didn't go.
You workin' in this shop with him all day, every day, and you tellin' me you ain't know nothin'? (chuckles quietly) Something about this funny to you? You best be getting back up to that big house before they get suspicious.
Rosalee live up in that big house with you, all day, every day she your damn daughter, and you don't know what she up to, yet you comin' all the way down here to ask me about Noah? Now I'm glad you finally got a use for me.
We gonna do this now? Rosalee's got her head in a vise, and you want to talk about your sad feelings, about what I done to you? Maybe she runnin' 'cause of what you done to her, Mama.
You ever think about that? Huh? Or that she's sick of all this? But you-you always know best, huh? (whispers): Stop it! Stop! Ain't no time for this.
We got to find a way to help your sister.
Mm-hmm.
Well maybe this is a problem you can't solve, Mama.
You ain't seen the overseer's cabin.
She was fighting for her life in there.
And you just givin' up on her.
- You ain't nothin' but a coward.
- This ain't on me! She wasn't even supposed to run.
Wasn't supposed to? What was supposed to happen? Tell me everything you know.
- - (birds chirping) We ain't that far from Macon.
Rollers gonna have them dogs on our scent soon enough.
A moment's what we got, then we keep moving.
(pants, sniffs) I'm gonna find you something else to wear.
No.
No.
Don't-don't leave me.
I'll be back, I promise.
But-but how am I gonna know it's you and not somebody else? Uh, h-how about I whistle? Like this.
(whistling simple melody) - Okay? - Yeah.
(opens door) (footsteps approaching) SUZANNA: The color is still eluding me.
Well, how do you feel about green? I'm not raising a bear cub, Mr.
Dalton.
(Dalton chuckles) SUZANNA: I went to the ocean once.
Not the docks the beach.
- DALTON: Of course.
- I remember thinking that the water looked so blue.
Ernestine? Yes, ma'am? Exceptional choice.
How long will it take? Well, no more than six weeks.
Do I look like I have six weeks? Well, ma'am, this is special order fabric.
It will need to travel by post all the way up north to Boston.
Pardon me, Miss Suzanna, but wouldn't by train be quicker? Well? There's a train leaving Atlanta tomorrow afternoon.
I suppose if we got the order on there, we can have the shipment by week's end.
That's all I wanted to hear.
Stine, you may show Mr.
Dalton out now.
He's got a train to catch.
(chuckles softly) It's 110 proof, but drinking it you wouldn't know.
You understand what "proof" means? I can't say I do, sir.
In the 16th century, payments to British sailors included rations of rum.
To ensure the rum had not been watered down, it was "proved" by testing to see if the alcohol would ignite.
If it did not the rum contained too much water and was considered to be "under proof.
" So, uh 110 is high? For gin? You tell me.
Are you sure this is okay, Massa? Can't toast without a drink.
Well, it don't seem much a day for celebration.
Those other two are gonna be back soon enough.
You know who won't? Bill.
Hell, you saw him.
You've worked for me for what, eight years now? Uh, 11, sir.
You warned me about Noah, and I didn't listen.
You got the heart of this plantation in a tight grip, and that's what I need in my new overseer.
This whole ordeal is gonna put ideas in the others' heads I need you to drive them out, you understand? You know what? You grab yourself a bottle.
Any one you want.
I know you're gonna earn it.
(laughs quietly) (exhausted sigh) (water sloshing) (groans quietly) (Noah whistling simple melody) (door creaks) This looked about your size.
(grunts quietly) Rosalee, we ain't got much time.
Can you help me with the buttons? - (dogs barking in distance) - They found us.
(dogs barking) (barking continues) This the good wine? Actually, it's my favorite.
Keep your eyes off me! Slaves don't look their massa in the eye.
And get over there you're disturbing my meal.
Is that really necessary? Wash over here, he always been like a caged bird.
Always singin' when the white folks want to hear a tune.
Try putting me into a cage like a animal, you gonna find I got claws and teeth.
Pick that up.
Come on.
Me and Wash we been friends for a long, long time, huh? So if he think you're innocent I'll hear you out.
What is it that you do? I'm a lawyer.
WASH: Did you ever own - any slaves? - No, sir.
I would never.
Under any circumstances.
Where was you nine summers ago? (exhales) I'd just finished law school.
I was clerking for Justice Corbin over in Pennsylvania he was a district judge.
- He's just saying words.
- No, no, it's true.
I feel for your plight, I do.
And I understand why you JOSEY: You don't understand nothing! How you possibly gonna understand the pain that I've been through, huh? Hmm? The way I felt when you took Tempie from me.
That was my wife.
She was mine, not yours! I'm gonna show 'em what happens to slaves when they lie to their massas.
CATO: Welcome to the new order of things.
Ain't none of y'all gonna be runnin' like those troublemakers.
Yo' ass is gonna be too tired.
Now, y'all picked 3,000 pounds under Bill.
I aim to double that.
Hey, boss.
You got a leak there.
What'd you say to me? Your canteen done caught a leak.
Mind your own work, boy.
I want y'all breakin' the scale with your pickings.
And until you are, ain't no more water breaks! Now, get these buckets out of my sight.
(quietly): You get in there? They're gone, Mama.
Cato must have 'em.
No, no, no, no, she-she just missed 'em.
He in charge now.
Only one allowed back in the quarters during the workday.
Them papers got all our names on 'em.
Well, I'll find 'em tonight and I'll burn 'em.
We got to go before Cato got a chance to use 'em against us.
You think we should still run? We ain't gonna get another chance at this.
And maybe that's God's will.
Maybe this-this thing with Noah is a sign it wasn't meant to be.
God don't give us signs, he gives us strength.
There's too much risk, Ma.
You done said it.
You gonna carry our little girl to freedom.
Ain't no risk too much for that.
(neighing) (groaning and panting) I'm sorry, Noah.
I ain't mean to mess up your plan.
I thought the swamp would mask our scent, but them dogs still on us.
(dogs barking) I want you to keep going that way, towards the mountains.
You said you ain't gone leave me.
- Go.
I'm gonna catch up.
- No, no.
- I-I can't go by myself.
- Ain't no can't any more.
You have to.
Now you put a bottle in the overseer's neck, you got out of that cabin by yourself.
You can do this, too.
(dog barking in distance) What the hell are you doin'? I said you got to go.
Mama says to never pick these for the house.
Go get me one of them water birds.
(door opens, man clearing throat) Mr.
Pullman, sorry about the wait.
Please have a seat.
And who is this? That'd be my son Ben.
How old are you, Ben? - 11 years, sir.
- My boy T.
R.
he's eight.
Three more, and he'll a be a young man, I guess.
Can I interest you in a cigar? If it's all the same, I'd like to hear more detail about your runaways.
One is one of my house girls.
Lived her entire life behind these very walls.
About as delicate as them flowers you passed on the way in.
I can't imagine she'd last long out there.
And the boy well, he just recently became a bit of a troublemaker.
Please.
You came highly recommended, from Greer Page at First Presbyterian, for your skills as much as your discretion.
It's the latter I'm most interested in.
How does this work cash-wise? I've never had a runaway before.
I ask for half up front, and the rest, plus expenses, when I bring your property back to you.
Half? How do I know you won't just run off with my money? - I ain't no cheat.
- Hmm.
(glass breaking) Sorry.
You can take that out of my pay.
Oh, don't worry about it.
I got five more just like it.
(door opens) And I've got ten paddy rollers scouring the surrounding acres.
I mean, from what I hear, most runners they don't get far.
They lurk, and they fret, and then they return.
So why should I hire you? Did your rollers tell you how they managed to get off your plantation? They don't have a clue.
It's been vexing me all day.
I saw some carriage tracks when I came on.
Did any wagons leave from last night? Yes, one, pushing on midnight.
You wager that's how they got off? I don't like to wager, Mr.
Macon.
I'll tell you what.
If my paddy rollers haven't retrieved them by nightfall, consider yourself hired.
I thought you said we were coming here 'cause we had the job.
I'm gonna have the job.
What are we supposed to do until nightfall? You're gonna wait with the horses.
Yes, sir.
And don't touch nothin'.
(panting) I can see the dogs.
(barking) They're comin'.
I just need a second, get these flowers in.
(barking) We ain't got no more seconds.
(barking) (panting) (barking) (barking and growling) You do this, you gonna be exactly what they think a wild animal.
Listen to me! You got to let Tempie go.
Wasn't your fault.
Ain't nothin' you could have done.
I'm doin' somethin' now.
ELIZABETH: I am begging you.
Please don't do this.
I ain't doin' nothin'.
You is.
This done gone too far.
You really gonna choose these white folks over me? Huh? I'm sorry.
(crying) (footsteps retreating, door opening) Pick it up.
(door closes) I can't.
- Don't you touch her! - I said pick it up! (gasps) I will not.
Your ass is next then.
JOHN: All right.
All right, all right, all right! All right, Elizabeth, it's okay.
Just do it.
I'll be fine.
(gasping) John.
You heard your man.
(sniffling) Do it.
Do it! Now! (cries) - Again.
- (John grunts) Tell me the truth.
Tell me you sold her.
(panting) (whimpers) (panting) Harder.
(inhales) (groans, panting) - (crying) - Harder! (crying) - (John yells) - Again! (yelling, panting) Please, no more.
(panting) Told you what would happen if you didn't Stop! You were right.
It was me! It was me.
I'll tell you the truth.
(panting) Everything.
(horse neighing) TRACKER: Son of a bitch! They poisoned 'em.
TRACKER 2: Well, how the hell we gonna track 'em down? We ought to keep movin'.
Can I help you, sir? If you clip the tendon right off, you can separate the meat from the bone clean.
And not have so much gristle.
May I? One of the runaways she's your daughter? She is.
You got, uh, two other boys? One's a little younger than your son.
Your husband where he at? He passed away.
Before your daughter was born? (sighs) Most slave families find it hard to stay together.
Half the runners I chase down they're just tryin' to get back to their wife, children.
But your daughter all her family's right here.
Why do you think she ran? I was always tough on her.
Wanted to prepare her for the way the world chews up our kind and spits us out.
But I fear I may have done more harm than good, that maybe I pushed her away.
She's just a simple girl.
Can't imagine she make any trouble she caught.
(sniffles) I just been down at the overseer's.
I seen what kind of trouble Rosalee is.
(gasps quietly) (panting) Tempie.
It was short for Temperance.
That's right.
Her mama named her after where she was born.
I didn't remember until now 'cause it was one of my first cases at the firm.
I was sent to Virginia to handle an estate sale.
I supervised the distribution of assets.
Stop with all the fancy talk and just say it plain.
The property.
I separated the slaves that had been bequeathed.
Given away in your owner's will.
I called out names, pointed to wagons, and they were loaded up.
But I can see now how that must have seemed to you.
Like I was the slaver.
(panting) But you were right.
That was me.
I want to know what happened to her after they took her.
And don't you say that you don't remember.
Your wife was taken by a man that your owner owed a debt to.
Where? Kentucky.
I, um I had to travel with them.
(sighs) - You saw where they took her? - I did.
I stayed some days on business, and the man that she was sold to, - from what I observed - What was his name? Todd Rogers, and he owned a moderately-sized tobacco plantation.
(panting) Tobacco ain't as backbreaking as pickin' cotton.
That's right.
That's right.
Uh, did she say anything? Did she say anything at all? Please? Not to me.
She stayed in the back of the wagon most of the trip, just wrapped in a blanket, trying to keep warm.
Trying to stay warm? My wife was taken in summer.
JOSEY: What? (crying): You just gonna say what you think I want to hear? - No, that's the truth.
- You ain't never gonna tell the truth.
It's just one lie after lie - after lie after lie.
- No, that's the truth.
Lie after lie after lie after lie after lie That's all y'all do is lie.
Now I got to cut your lyin' tongue out.
(grunting) (grunting) (gasps) I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have never left.
Y'all are good f ROSALEE: I seen death, but the moss stay the same, and It's talking about moss growing on the north side of the trees.
Now, I-I don't know what the blue haze or-or the wolf is, but I-I thought I had more time to figure that out.
But-But the river is the Ohio one, you got that? Why is it so important you teach me this now? You says we gots to keep moving.
I'm going back.
For the others.
Rose, I-I-I was Henry's age the first time I heard my old massa talking 'bout free black folks.
Up in Illinois, they just walking around.
It lit a fire in me.
I knew I was supposed to be free.
I started acting like it, too.
I got my back tore up real good for my dreaming.
Eventually, I I-I just started playing by the rules.
By the time I got to Macon, I'd been playing the good slave so long, I-I forgot it was an act.
I settled right into a life of hard work and-and moderate liberties at the shop.
Till I met Henry.
Oh, he was so full of fire.
He he reminded me of-of-of of that thing that I lost.
That hope for something better.
He the one sparked all this.
I-I-I can't le I won't leave him behind.
I won't leave any of them behind.
Now, if I don't come back, I need you to promise me you won't go to the You'll come back.
ERNESTINE: I need to talk to you.
(chuckles) Now, I know I must be coming up in the world if the head house bitch wants to chat.
I know you was planning to run.
Sonny boy doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut.
Seems like your whole family got a reckless streak.
I heard there's a train leaving north from Atlanta tomorrow.
What you telling me for? Seems to me you had bigger plans for yourself than being Mr.
Bill's replacement.
If that's true, and your path crosses with my daughter, I just ask that you do what you can to get her on that train.
Funny thing about plans they always changing.
I know y'all was planning to run with that Noah.
(chuckles) Now, I just don't know if you still thinking about it.
Let me tell y'all a cautionary tale about a slave who tried to run.
Thought he was smart.
But the first time, he didn't break a sweat when they dragged him back, burned that R into his flesh.
But some folks don't never learn.
That night the boy ran again.
Two days later, his ass dragged back.
So they held him down, burned another R, right next to the other.
That boy couldn't stand his own reflection after that.
A man who never sees his own reflection.
Hell, he starts to forget he's a man at all.
That boy made a promise if he ever did it again, he wouldn't hesitate not a moment.
He'd learned it so good, he didn't hesitate when he burned half his face off to get rid of them R's.
(screaming) (grunting) Aah! Run! (bell clanging) TOM: We need water here, now! Get all the slaves out here! Go, move! Get moving! Get water.
Pick those buckets up.
Get all the slaves! Go! Get water! Now! What are you waiting for? This wasn't no accident.
What the hell you talking about? You got more runners.
We saw the fire, came to help.
- Came from where? - The bridge.
The fire's a distraction.
That's where they're headed.
I'll get you your money, you just get 'em.
Ben! Get the horses.
Meet me at the bridge! - (horse whinnying) - Hurry on up! Ow! Papa! Do whatever it takes to get her free! Don't shoot! Please not in front of my daughter.
(uncocks rifle) JOHN: They wanted money.
Told 'em we didn't have any; we keep it at the bank.
They thought we were lying.
And that's what happened to your Tried to get me to tell the truth.
I thought it was suspicious when I saw that Negro slip around the side of your home.
Glad I decided to circle back around.
So are we.
Thank you, again, Marshal.
If you got what you need, I'd like to check on my wife.
Yeah.
(door opens) Your story the part about the estate sale was true, wasn't it? The worst day of that man's life was just another Tuesday at the office for me.
I just I was so concerned about making a good impression my first year at the firm that I didn't think twice about what I was doing.
Then you got the whipping you deserved.
You made a mistake.
But God has given us the opportunity to fix that now.
(horse whinnying) Hold it right there, boy! No, no.
No, no, no! No, no.
(panting) (gun cocks) (gunshot) (laughs) (man whistling a tune) Where Pearly Mae? My brother? MAN: Come on down! MAN 2: Keep it coming! MAN 3: We need more water! MAN 4: Get that pail up here! That's it, let's get some more! (men shouting, grunting with effort) - Is Virgil here? - Right here! Get some more from the house! Go! (coughs) Come on, hurry up!