Last Days of the Space Age (2024) s01e05 Episode Script

1
You're gonna remake it.
- Stirling, that bloke you barbecued
- (CROWD GASPING)
- EILEEN: last night at the party.
- That bust you made,
reckon you can teach me
how to make a new one?
- Hey! Give it back!
- You want it, hey? Come on.
- Come get it. Come get it. Hey!
- MIA: Give me my board back!
- JONO: But you can't even drive.
- (PANTS) Watch me.
- Get away from my car.
- Hey! Go, go, go!
- CHOOK: Don't you dare! Don't you d
- (BOYS CLAMOURING)
JONO: Take it easy.
You're going too fast. Slow down.
- Turn!
- MIA: I'm I'm trying!
- Try a bit harder! (SCREAMS)
- MIA: I'm trying! I'm trying!
(MIA SCREAMS)
I want a new van.
(INDISTINCT CLAMOUR)
- JUDY: Why would they do that?
- TONY: To keep her off the beach.
JUDY: Mia.
Someone needs to take control
of this family, so I'm moving in.
I want to see Mia. She needs me.
Somebody died last night
because of the power cut.
Wayne wants me
to keep it out of the paper.
I want us to work together.
If I can get just five minutes with him,
I know I can get him to invest.
Murray Doull.
- I wanna know if your offer still stands.
- Yes.
SVETLANA: Women will now not go to space.
Better at becoming beauty queens. Huh?
- TILLY: Eighty Mississippi
- (DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE)
79 Mississippi, 78 Mississippi,
77 Mississippi, 76 Mississippi,
75 Mississippi,
74 Mississippi. You okay?
I’m fine.
Don’t seem fine.
- The crash, Tilly! It
- It’s done. Hey, you’re okay
It's not okay.
We have to pay those arseholes
for their crappy panel van.
A thousand bucks. And (SIGHS)
they wanted to hurt me.
They came after me on my beach.
- It’s still your beach.
- No, it’s theirs.
- (BREATHES DEEPLY)
- (GRUNTS)
(SIGHS) Thirty-three
Mississippi, 32 Mississippi,
- 31 It's Skylab!
- MIA: Thirty-one.
Skylab!
Oh, it’s early.
It’s brighter?
It’s it's closer. (EXHALES)
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(THEME MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(EILEEN AND BOB PANTING, MOANING)
(UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING)
What if someone saw this bloody
thing move and looked inside?
(BOTH PANT)
It's the 17th Amendment
of the Australian Constitution.
“If the van is rockin’,
don’t come knockin’.”
- (CHUCKLES)
- The constitution?
That’s done bugger all for me
over the years.
(SIGHS, CHUCKLES)
- (CHUCKLES)
- (BILYA CHUCKLES, BREATHES DEEPLY)
Am I "Good Sandy" or
(WHISPERS) "Bad Sandy"?
(CHUCKLES) Mm.
- Oh, wait. (SHUSHES) Hmm.
- (CAR ENGINE RUMBLING)
(GRUNTS)
POPPY: My old man is such a prick.
BILYA: Of course
he’s a prick. He’s a cop.
POPPY: (GRUNTS)
You don’t know the half of it.
Wait! It's R It's Rocco?
(CHUCKLES) Don’t worry, he won’t
come up here. He couldn’t care less.
(BREATHES HEAVILY) Yep. (GRUNTS)
Pretty sure kids like me
have been killed for less. (GRUNTS)
- (CHUCKLES)
- (BILYA GRUNTS)
BILYA: (WHISPERS) See ya. (GRUNTS)
You’re "Really, Really Good Sandy."
(GIGGLES, SIGHS)
(CHUCKLES)
What time is it?
Seven.
The whole street will
be bloody waking up.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- You up?
Uh. You were out.
EILEEN: I had to go see Jude.
(CHUCKLES) About what?
Women’s business. Bugger off.
(SCOFFS)
- (DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER TV)
Francesca, you are a Roman goddess.
- (GRUNTS)
- So
Francesca does not think
that Channel Seven news
have got a hold
of the hospital death story.
- Does not think?
- Well, we’ll know by six o'clock tonight.
If they do and if you don't own
if Wayne doesn’t own up to this
(BLOWS) Well then,
we're slaughtered. (SIGHS)
- TONY: Mm-hmm.
- (EXHALES DEEPLY)
I haven't seen you wearing
one of those in a long time.
- Not much call on the barricades.
- Aw! It's a shame.
Suits you.
You know, you might have got
a better deal wearing one of these.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
- You never offered me a deal.
- Yeah, well.
I have no idea what you guys want.
(BREATHES DEEPLY) Gazza
and his mates are just stonewalling.
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
What about guarantees for a year
and a ten percent pay cut?
Mm-mm.
What is it? Is it the guarantees,
or is it the pay?
Gazza will tell you both.
But it’s always cash in the wallet.
Is it?
- Hmm
- Well, what about
jobs guaranteed for a year
and a five percent pay cut,
excluding
No, including overtime?
You got it.
- (BREATHES DEEPLY, CHUCKLES)
- (CAR HORN HONKING)
- Day one with Bissett Star Broadcasting!
- (UPBEAT ROCK PLAYING OVER RADIO)
I might have been better off at the
dying-on-its-arse power supply company.
Oh, it's just a simple redistribution
of assets.
- (GRUNTS)
- The Merc', for a van and equipment.
Doesn’t sound great. (GRUNTS)
We got Barry's new van,
business is growing fast.
And as you like to regularly point out,
no children, no wife.
What else am I going to take a risk on?
So (GRUNTS) why am I having to
wear the bloody noose? Miss Universe?
An interview
with the founder of "dying-on-its-arse
power supply company."
- No.
- Oh, yes.
TONY: Oh!
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV)
JUDY: Mia!
School.
(SIGHS) Mia! (SIGHS)
Words?
I'm not going anywhere.
I'm not seeing anyone.
- School. Beach. Nothing.
- (EXHALES) Oh, come on. It’s been days.
- (SIGHS) Mia!
- Maybe for once you should leave me alone
and start worrying about Tilly.
She’s obsessing over Skylab,
and she’s just about given up
being the first woman on Jupiter!
- Tilly? What?
- Or haven't you noticed?
- All right, I'll have a word with her.
- (MIA GRUNTS)
School.
- I'm not kidding, Mia! Get up!
- (SIGHS)
- (DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
- (INHALES)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (GRUNTS) Jeez.
James Stirling?
Really?
It’s Yellagonga.
Uh. Your lot called him a king,
but he was a leader of the Whadjuk
Noongar in the early days of your colony.
Bilya.
He’s still a legend to our people.
He deserves to be celebrated,
not Stirling.
I’m so sorry, Mr Williamson.
Bilya, you’re here to listen and learn.
Not lecture.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)
Impressive enthusiasm, Bilya,
but I think that’s your class starting.
(SIGHS)
I'm sorry about that.
He’ll learn. He’s young.
But you you you appear
to have a strong understanding
and sense of our history, Eileen.
You should be on the radio.
We’ve been offered some interview slots
for local teachers to talk
about our history and their work.
It’ll be heard for miles,
like statewide even.
(SCOFFS) I don’t know.
This is a chance for
an Indigenous teacher such as yourself
to demonstrate all the progress
we’ve made over 150 years.
Mm-hmm.
(CLICKS TONGUE)
Okay. Yeah, sounds fine.
- Um. I have a class to get to.
- Okay. Thanks, Eileen.
WAYNE: Shit, Francesca, what now?
Killed more old birds, have ya?
(CHUCKLES)
(SMACKS LIPS)
So, we've come up with a plan.
A deal to end this strike
and keep this business going.
- To get the business growing.
- (GROANS)
We understand that the unions will accept
a five percent pay cut across boards.
So that, combined with the savings
that we’re making with suppliers
and processes, means
that we can end this strike (SIGHS)
- and move on.
- But I have to accept it.
Well, we advise that you do.
It's a good deal, Wayne.
Don't expect me to
read all this, do you?
- (JUDY CHUCKLES)
- Bloody hell! (SNIFFS)
How do I look, Frannie?
Gate-crashing the old man’s TV interview
and I need to look my best.
Yeah, you look great.
If you don't have time to read it,
we could just give you a summary.
I don't need to be spoon-fed
to know it’s shit.
I hope you’re gonna go easy on me, Mick.
It’s not my company anymore.
(WAYNE CLEARS THROAT)
- Well, not officially.
- Don’t you worry, Mr Doull.
- I’ll be gentle. I don’t want
- Okay if we join you?
Wayne. Pleasant surprise.
WAYNE: Good to see you, Tony.
Can’t stay away, can you, Father?
And I know
how you can’t resist a camera, Son.
Oh, I thought you could use a pretty
face for the camera too, you know?
The Doull family have
always been leaders,
especially during tough times for Perth.
And Wayne continues that tradition.
And how proud are you
of your son’s efforts
- (BREATHES DEEPLY)
- during these last, difficult months
- since taking over from you?
- Very proud.
And I’m sure that a solution is at hand.
Thanks to the hard work of Wayne
and his beautiful
new general manager, Jude.
- Not exactly David Frost, are ya?
- Shut up.
(JUDY CLEARS THROAT)
Do I
say? Oh, okay.
Well, I've spoken to the union
and I'm pretty sure I understand
all of their needs and concerns.
Obviously, we're focused
on where the business is moving forward.
In order to be sustainable,
we're focused on long-term employment.
But I believe that we will find
a compromise where we'll fix this.
Now, that's a dirty word! "Compromise."
Now these, uh, greedy unions
need to understand that this business,
this humble family business
A family business that treats
its employees as family.
Always has. Always will.
Yes, and I I can actually vouch
for Murray, there.
You see, I've worked for this company
for almost two decades,
so I've known Murray here
almost as long as I've known my husband.
This place really
does feel like a family.
Till you fired your husband.
(CHUCKLES, WHEEZES) Mm.
Maybe cut that bit? (CLEARS THROAT)
No offence, Tone. You’re
redundant, mate, you're not, um, fired.
(CHUCKLES) Yeah. No worries, Wayne.
But, uh, tell me, mate, for the tape,
how does
your happy little electrical family
feel about leaving another one grieving?
MURRAY: Hmm. What was that?
TONY: Mr Doull,
under your son’s leadership,
the current dispute has led to a death
at Scarborough Beach Hospital,
when parts from this company
were not available to service
their backup generator.
- What? A a death?
- We need to stop now.
- TONY: Have you got blood
- Mm. Yeah.
on your hands, Wayne?
Or just egg on your face, mate?
- TONY: Hey!
- MURRAY: Hey. Hey, enough. Hey!
Bugger this.
(CLEARS THROAT) Tape and battery change.
(TONY CLEARS THROAT)
JUDY: Excuse me.
(WHISPERS) Tony.
- Give him a hand, eh?
- BARRY: Yeah.
You’re not gonna air that.
(MICK EXHALES)
(GRUNTS, SIGHS)
Discretion is the better part
of valour, Mr Doull.
MURRAY: Valour?
Ambushed with an accusation
of corporate manslaughter.
But I suppose
that’s what you call a "story"?
Something like that.
And something like that sells for a lot?
That’s the idea.
Well
I think I might finally
get this business of yours.
We should have some lunch
have our ladies join us
and discuss all this.
Great idea, Murray.
- Consider it redundancy.
- (TONY CHUCKLES)
Well
- That’s a surprise.
- I’m trying to build something, here.
And all you did today was damage it.
I thought we’d be covering
the Miss Universe, not
- not the bastards that fired me!
- MICK: Mate, we cover all sorts of crap
that we may not approve of.
Can't you just bite your tongue for
an hour or two? Is that not possible?
I’m sorry, Mick.
Really.
Yeah. Well (BREATHES DEEPLY)
you're my brother,
and that's why this won’t work.
Another day like this
and I’ll lose my job.
- (SIGHS) Mick
- Me too.
No offense.
Please.
Keep it.
Bugger it.
I’ve got a smashed panel van to pay for.
Fuck!
(DOOR SLAMS SHUT)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV)
Enough.
Come on.
- (SIGHS)
- (UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- ICE-CREAM VENDOR: Here you go, love.
- MIA: Thank you.
- (SEAGULLS CHIRPING)
- (WAVES CRASHING)
BOB: Those waves!
After London, they felt like life.
Even in the darkest times,
and there have been some
I could go there.
Escape the world
just for a few seconds.
And the waves would be yours,
and you could do
(CHUCKLES) anything.
You still can.
The beach those boys will be there.
Mia, sod them!
Now, we can turn round
and be back for tea,
or we can get this board of yours fixed.
MIA: Why's he called 'Spider?'
BOB: Clings to the board,
you can’t shake him off.
Just never falls off.
He's a bit like you.
(WHISTLES)
SPIDER: Well, lookie here!
- Bobby Foden!
- Good afternoon, Gerald.
Who the hell is "Gerald"?
(CLICKS TONGUE)
(SIGHS) It's the biggest
badge of honour I’ve ever seen.
(CHUCKLES)
Well, anyone who’d do that
to a board is an arsehole.
And if they don’t like you,
that that makes you an anti-arsehole.
Which makes you my kind of person.
I know you’re the man
to make this good as new.
SPIDER: (SIGHS)
I don't know if I should. I mean it.
Part of the board’s story, now.
- It’s part of
- Mia.
SPIDER: Mia’s story.
Lovely name, Mia.
I just want the name gone
as soon as possible.
(UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Big wave winter surfer, are ya?
Is there any other?
SPIDER: You tell me
that old bugger still got my caravan?
- Your caravan?
- Yeah.
Won it off a dodgy card game.
Hey, you wanna play again for the van?
- No, no, no, no, no.
- (GERALD CHUCKLES)
- (CHUCKLES)
- Look where I ended up, you bastard.
Come on. Get the wax off.
Thank you, Mrs Doull. That was lovely.
Thank you for showing me
how stylish life is here.
I mean, of course,
Mick has been showing me that as well.
His films of the city and the competition.
Ugh, they are cinematic! (CHUCKLES)
(CHUCKLES) Speaking of which,
have you both got your tickets
- for the Miss Universe final?
- Yes, of course.
(GASPS, CHEERS) Well, then we’ll need
to get you backstage before it starts.
- If you’d like that, of course.
- Yeah.
- You know how to pick them, Mick!
- (CHUCKLES)
- So do I.
- (MUSIC FADES)
I like this business of yours.
Well, there's gonna be
more of everything in the '80s.
- More TVs, more channels
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
more celebrities. People want this.
I'll give you 150,000
for a 49 percent stake.
It's not a 300,000-dollar business
either, Murray. You know that.
You also know
what this business can become.
And what it can offer along the way.
SVETLANA: Look at this stunning marina.
If I was living here in Australia,
I would be here every single day.
(DELVENE GASPS)
I'll give you a 150,000
for a 40 percent stake.
Thirty percent.
And that tape from today.
(WOMEN LAUGHING, CHATTERING)
All right.
(SVETLANA LAUGHING)
- (SCHOOL BELL RINGING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- Thought I was supposed to tell the truth.
- Yeah.
But not if it gets you expelled
or me fired.
- (SCOFFS) Uncle Adam warned me.
- EILEEN: What?
What did he warn, Bilya?
- That you’d bow down to them.
- To keep my job.
To keep the roof over our head.
It's easy for him
Get in.
(CAR DOOR OPENS)
EILEEN: You kids think
a sticker's gonna change the world.
- (STICKER RIPS)
- (CAR DOOR CLOSES)
MR BERTRUDE: Five,
four, three, two, one and stop.
How’d ya go?
Oh, come on, Till.
You asked to sit this test.
You must be confident.
I I don't know, secretarial colleges
want 100 words per minute. So
MR BERTRUDE: Yeah, I think they also
want 'em in the, um, correct order.
Look, I admire you setting your goals
on something a little more realistic
than a moonshot. I really do.
But maybe that counter job
at Boans is worth considering?
Hmm?
- (WHISTLES)
- (SIGHS HEAVILY)
- You were amazing!
- (CHUCKLES)
Well, she’s sweet, and he’s got
an ego the size of Moscow.
Maybe. But we were a great team.
Yes, we were.
Now I have a favour to ask.
- Anything.
- Come!
I have a problem.
- YVGENY: Now!
- I need a doctor.
- Do you know one?
- Of course. But if you're sick,
- Yvgeny should know
- No, no, no, no. I'm not sick.
(YVGENY SPEAKING RUSSIAN)
"All good," like you Aussies say?
- Yes, mate, all good.
- (CAR ENGINE REVS)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Where were you?
Deb practice. I waited for you.
Are you angry with me?
'Cause that’s the third
one you’ve missed.
I just forgot. Sorry.
- So, you’re not
- Angry? No. No.
Cool.
But you did pash my sister.
I saw you. My kid sister.
(CHUCKLES MOCKINGLY)
You’re meant to be my mate.
Right? My co-pilot.
Us and the moon. And
you pashed my sister!
It was just this one moment.
- I'm sorry.
- Twice. I saw you both on the roof.
- Mm.
- I I was trying to help her. (GRUNTS)
Once, twice, 20.
You know what? It doesn’t matter.
She’s my sister. My kid sister.
And you're meant to be my my friend.
I am your friend.
- Tilly, I (CHUCKLES) I am.
- TILLY: Right.
(SIGHS)
It was just a stupid moment, okay?
And I'm sorry.
(CLICKS TONGUE) Just thought
you’d have better taste in girls.
(CHUCKLES) Well, I’ve got great taste
in deb partners.
The deb? Who cares about the bloody deb!
- I thought you were into it
- Jono, Mia nearly died in a car crash
- It's all okay. We're
- with my best friend.
- We've all worked it out.
- But you’re not. You're not okay.
M Mia’s crazy, Mum and Dad
are losing their minds,
and and somewhere up there,
Skylab is coming down.
(CHUCKLES) It's okay, Tilly.
No, it's not.
I wrote to all those astronauts
and none wrote back.
(SCOFFS) Astronauts?
They’re busy. (CHUCKLES)
TILLY: They’re not, Jono! They’re not!
Nobody’s flying to space anymore.
Nobody.
- JONO: Come on.
- (SNIFFLES)
Tonight, workers down tools
in Sydney to protest union arrests,
out of form Beasley promises
South Fremantle goals this weekend,
and Miss Universe meet Miss Gerro'.
The pageant heads north.
Good evening, Perth.
- (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING ON TV)
- So, they're not gonna run the story.
Just Beasley’s goals and Miss Gerro.
Not as important as Betty’s death.
That deserves a drink.
The good stuff hidden in the files.
I bet you that’s not all
he's got hidden in here.
That little bastard is up to something.
I just know it.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- Pronto, Tonto!
(TONY GRUNTS)
(CAR ENGINE STALLS)
- (SIGHS)
- (GRUNTS, BREATHES HEAVILY)
- Shit.
- (GRUNTS)
What the hell was that today?
Well? (SIGHS)
That was me getting fired by my brother.
(GROANS)
- JUDY: Jesus, Tony.
- Well, I'm sorry.
- He kept cutting you off
- No!
- and I lost it.
- You lost it when he insulted you.
I was choking
on the testosterone in that room.
And for the record,
I don’t need you speaking for me.
She doesn't.
She gives me grief all the time.
JUDY: (SIGHS) Dad.
That could’ve been the start
of something new. You and Mick.
Well, it wasn’t. It was the end.
But look, on the bright side
little brother does
a good redundancy package.
- (SIGHS)
- (BOB GRUNTS)
(SNIFFLES)
(CLICKS TONGUE) I
took Mia on this today.
She loved it.
Don’t worry, we’re going
big wave surfing tomorrow.
- Come on. (GRUNTS)
- (SIGHS)
(UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
Dad.
(EXHALES)
Ah, this song,
it always reminds me of you.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
Aw! Oh, I love this!
- Like listen, just listen.
- Okay.
You’re a Starman.
You really are. Like
You promise not to give up on your
dreams? I won't give up on mine, deal?
Deal. But but I’m a starwoman, man.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (CRICKETS CHIRPING)
What the fuck? What? Oh.
What do you want?
I wanna give you a 1000 dollars
to give to your mate, "Chicken."
(SCOFFS) Uh
- Chook?
- Chook. Chicken.
Hang on.
You’re the dad of that girl.
- Mia.
- KENNO: Yeah.
She crashed Chook’s van
with that Asian kid.
Vietnamese.
You one of the bastards
giving our families a rough time, eh?
- KENNO: Look, mate (CHUCKLES)
- TONY: Hey?
(GRUNTS)
Well, here’s the money for the van.
(SIGHS)
Tell "Chicken" that you’re all going
to leave my daughter alone.
And Jono. And all our families.
- Clear?
- Chook.
(TONY CHUCKLES SARCASTICALLY)
Prick.
(SCOFFS)
- (EXHALES)
- (GIGGLES)
- (SEAGULLS SQUAWKING)
- (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING)
(WAVES CRASHING)
My board!
I get first ride.
(GRUNTS)
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
(EXHALES)
(CHUCKLES)
(MUSIC FADES)
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
(INTENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
Grandad!
(WATER BURBLING)
(GASPS)
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
(MIA GRUNTS)
(INAUDIBLE)
(SOBS) Get up!
Grandad, please!
Please, someone help!
Please!
(WATER BURBLING)
(MUSIC FADES)
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(THEME MUSIC CONCLUDES)