The Good Lord Bird (2020) s01e06 Episode Script

"Jesus is walking."
Can you remember that?
Oh, the password.
Jesus is walking.
Stop the wagon!
I love you, Annie Brown,
and I won't ever see you again.
Onion!
Suspenseful music
Advertise your product or brand here
I'm not afraid to die.
And why you saying that now?
Do you want to jinx us?
Ain't none of us getting killed.
But what if someone else
gets killed?
Wh-What if anyone gets killed?
Jesus says that
The white people have been
using the words of Jesus
to keep Black folks docile
while they rape, pillage
and kill everything they see,
ever since the big man
finished His sermon
and stepped off the mount.
Now, me and Emperor
and all these men,
we know why we're here.
Why are you here?
Well, my ancestors probably
fought with Napoleon at Waterloo
and Jim Bowie at the Alamo,
so I'm pretty sure
I got it in my blood somewhere.
I'm not talking to you.
I'm talking to Jason
and the Brown boys.
You just do what your daddy
tells you?
Now, do you know what Father
gave us for Christmas last year?
Slaves.
- 17 of 'em.
- The hell you say?
Y'all got slaves
as Christmas gifts?
Yeah. Yeah.
I got three for my birthday.
Y'all are shitting us.
All of our slaves were white.
And Pa gave the white
Missourians two choices
after we freed their slaves.
"Turn around
and walk home, or
come be our slaves."
"Any time someone tells me
they are for slavery,
I think they should try it."
"I hereby invite you
and your children
to be our slaves."
Y'all actually had white slaves?
Well, none of them
ever really accepted.
When the men refused
to be our slaves,
Pa would make the old saps turn
and walk all the way
to the Missouri border.
To give them more time
to think about their position
on slavery.
Then we rode the freed slaves
north to Canada.
We rode on Christmas Eve.
Home by April.
Now, y'all are bedbug crazy.
Now, we riding with a bunch
of lunatics.
You're riding with a bunch
of sons who love their father.
Uh-huh.
I'm just a poor
Wayfaring stranger
Traveling through
This world below
There is no sickness
No toil nor danger
In that bright land
To which I go
I'm going there
To see my father
Hmm
And all my loved ones
Who've gone on
I'm just going
Over Jordan
I'm just going
Over home
Come on, children, let's sing
about the goodness
Of the Lord, my Lord
Come on, children, let's shout
All about God's rich reward
Guide our footsteps every day
Keeps us in the narrow way
Come on, children, let's sing
About the goodness of the Lord
Yeah, come on, children,
let's sing
About the goodness
of the Lord, my Lord
Come on, children, let's shout
All about God's rich reward
Guide our footsteps every day
Keeps us in the narrow way
Come on, children, let's sing
Come on, children, let's shout
How the Lord Almighty
has brought us out
There's none like him,
without a doubt
Come on, children, let's sing
About the goodness
Of the Lord
- Oh, shit!
- What are you doing here?
Damn it, Owen.
You could announce yourself.
I got to give your pa
the password
for the railman
before it's too late.
They left
hours ago.
I got to tell 'em.
Now settle down.
They'll figure it out.
No, I could use you here,
guarding the weapons.
It's all my fault, Owen.
I didn't give him the password.
You're free, Onion,
to die where you please.
No, but don't be confused.
There ain't no way in hell
any of this is your fault.
Now, you tell my father
I'll bury him and my brothers
by the big rock.
Where we used
to watch the sunset.
Suspenseful music
Know he'll like that.
I got to go, then, Owen.
Onion.
I don't need that.
Jason, wait!
Jason, wait!
Who goes there?
I said, "Who goes there?"
Don't take another step.
Who
goes there?
Jason, wait!
Jesus is walking!
- Jesus is walking!
- Halt.
- Jesus is walking!
- Halt!
Jesus is walking!
First man killed
at Harpers Ferry
was a colored.
He was a railman
named Heyward Shepherd,
and he died with $500
in his back pocket.
They never did figure out
how he got all that money
carrying folks' bags.
White folks run with that.
They laughed about it.
"John Brown's first shot
to free the niggers
was to kill a nigger."
Whoa, oh, oh. Who are these men?
They drive the train.
Wh Good idea.
Hostages.
Leary, take them
to the engine room.
- My pleasure, Captain.
- Smart kid, huh? John.
- Come on, git!
- Time to take the bridge.
- Get your men and go.
- Come on, boys.
- Guard it with your life, son.
- Yes, sir.
I don't think we can take
more than, more than six cases.
Uh, six cases on each wagon
- Four wagon.
- and you got
Whoa, whoa, whoa
The Lord of Lords
foresees our victory.
The war is won.
For our good omen Onion
has returned.
Isaiah says
"Woe to the wicked.
Ye to the righteous."
We are now in control
of 100,000 rifles.
Mm-hmm.
More than enough
for our new army.
We'll wait for the colored to
hive and head to the mountains.
Where's John Jr.?
You sent him to the bridge,
Captain.
Back to the bridge,
as you asked.
As you told him, Captain.
Exactly. Exactly right.
I'm glad you're back.
Everything all right, boys?
Onion, did you see
our friend the railman?
In a fashion.
Uh-huh. And where is he?
Well, Jason was talking to him
Onion, did he hive the colored?
Well
- Yes, he did.
- Oh, God have mercy.
He hath delivered the fruit.
You mean the colored came?
- Bunches.
- How many we got?
How many?
A bunch.
How many?
A bunch.
Well, where they at?
Well, see, there was
- a-a misunderstand
- Hey!
What's going on in there?
My name is John Brown
of Osawatomie, Kansas,
and we've come to free
the Negro people!
You've come to do what?
Free the Negro.
Hey. Hey.
You got, you got that girl
that shot that Negro in there?
What? What Negro got shot?
What Negro got shot?
The the one
that's dead in the rail yard!
Somebody saw a little nigger
girl run by and shoot him.
Hey, where the hell is Williams?
- He's supposed to be on watch!
- Mm-hmm.
Onion. Somebody get shot?
Fool, open this damn door!
Where the hell is Williams?
Check with your own damn people.
We don't know any Williams.
Uh, Captain?
This here is Williams.
He is an armory guard.
You're Williams?
Mm-hmm.
All right, hey,
sorry, sorry, sorry.
Yeah, we-we've got your man.
He's fine. He's right here.
Well, let him out!
Free the Negro,
and he'll be released.
Now quit fooling, you sawface
idiot. Let him out!
My name is
Osawatomie John Brown.
And we have taken
the federal armory
to free the Negro
from his enslavement.
So you can help us,
or you can go to hell.
For fuck's sake,
Fergus, he ain't fooling!
They got armed niggers
in here and they got
Someone shut him up!
Shit.
I need quiet!
I never gave you the password.
What password?
It's my fault.
I did it.
You were supposed to say
"Jesus is walking"
to the railman.
I-I tried to say it.
But he didn't hear it,
and he turned to run
- and Jason
- H-He was running.
I-I thought he was
going for help.
I don't know, I I shot him.
I shot him.
Slow, somber music
I'm sorry.
I understand.
Fear not, my children.
You think I need to be told
that Jesus is walking?
No. I know that.
And so did the railman.
The colored will come.
We've lit the fire,
and they will come
and fan the flame.
We wait.
We'll arm them and head off
to the mountains as planned.
Stay the course, men.
Stay the course.
Ain't nobody coming, is they?
I saw them with my own eyes.
- They out there.
- Come on.
Just not here now.
Good day, sir.
We're here to free the Negro
people and you are my prisoner.
Come on. Come on, move.
Pick it up.
No, Copeland,
we don't need any more hostages.
Cook, no, bring him in.
Welcome, sir,
make yourself at home.
We just, pretty soon, there's
gonna be more of them than us.
Captain, feels
like time's passing.
Let's just load the guns up
and get out of here.
Patience, Ottawa, patience.
We're waiting for our Negro
brothers to arrive.
We will load up the wagons
and take off as planned.
Patience.
O Lord,
thank you for delivering us
safely to this day.
Protect us and shield us
with your mighty power.
Direct me that I might
fulfill your purpose.
Amen.
Brother Broadnax. Good morning.
Morning, Cap.
What do you see from your perch?
Uh, there's some commotion
down by the train tracks.
Hear that?
Sounds like bees to me.
Somebody got the train
up and running.
Railroad's got more than
one engineer on the books.
They gonna stop
at the next town.
Tell the world what we up to!
I want them to know.
We just took over
the nation's largest armory
to free the enslaved people
of this nation.
That will be big news, I reckon.
Thousands will heed
the call to our trumpet.
Did you bring a trumpet?
Anybody have a trumpet?
Murderer at the armory!
Murderer at the armory!
Niggers afoot with guns!
Niggers afoot with guns!
- Insurrection!
- Ah, shit.
Insurrection!
Mr. John Brown, sir!
Mr. John Brown!
My name is Fontaine Beckham.
I'm the mayor of Harpers Ferry.
And on behalf of the good people
of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, we demand
that you release
any of the peoples
that you are detaining
in this prank.
Mm-hmm.
Good shot.
You!
You claiming
to be Old John Brown
of Osawatomie, Kansas?
That'd be me.
Well, I am older than you.
It would appear that way.
Now, you are holding
my younger brother in there,
and I would appreciate it
if you would let him out,
as he is terribly ill.
Well, what's his name?
Ogdin Hayes.
We got an Ogdin Hayes in there?
Ogdin Hayes?
Ogdin Hayes!
No!
No, that won't do at all!
It seems that two of you
are in need of a lesson
in the Good Book
about old King Solomon
and the two women,
who claimed to be mother of
one child, so the king said,
"All right, I'll just cut this
baby in two, and you can each
have half," and then one woman
said, "No, here, let her have
the baby," and King Solomon
knew she was the true mother.
Now if you understand
that story,
then two of you ought to
be ashamed of yourselves.
That's right, sit back down.
You're Ogdin Hayes?
Well, your brother
here says that, uh,
you're not, you're
not feeling well.
No, sir, my insides
is not right something fierce.
Well, you've got a good brother.
Be grateful for that.
He's brave and true.
You pray for my family,
I pray for yours?
I will, sir.
Yeah.
T-Thank you kindly, sir.
Is it true you're
fighting for the coloreds?
Yes, sir, I am.
Well, it's about time
- somebody did.
- Oh, yeah.
That's my thought exactly.
We'll, we'll bring flowers
to your funeral.
Um, Mayor, uh
What was it? Uh, Mayor Beckham!
- Yes, sir?
- Uh
We have fine people in here who
haven't eaten since yesterday.
I have, I have, uh
50 hostages!
And I will exchange one
for breakfast.
Who will you send out?
- Who?
- I'm the head cook
over at the Gault House.
If if you
let me out and, uh
I'll make sure y'all got
a first-rate breakfast.
- What's your name?
- Uh, Ben Blossom.
We're sending out Ben Blossom!
Hell no, do not bring him out!
That souse can't cook
to save his life!
- Come on, come on, come on.
- You keep his ass in there!
Thank you, Ben.
Idiots.
Come on, come on.
That went well.
Slow bluegrass music
Hey, don't touch that.
No, don't do that, either.
You reckon this is poison?
Hey! Hey, cookie.
How we know this
ain't gonna kill us?
You think I ain't never
heard that joke before?
Tastes good to me.
Y'all send out
that nigger girl
that shot the porter,
and we'll talk a truce!
Hey.
Onion?
- Send her out!
- Come over here.
Fuck.
I don't want to go
out there, Captain.
- But if you want me to
- Send her out now!
I will.
I would rather ransom my bones
than send you out there.
I don't think we should
stay here much longer.
Captain? I don't think
the bees are gonna hi
Even Jesus had doubts.
Having doubts
doesn't make us weak.
It makes us human.
All right?
Come here, come here.
I've seen the future.
The Lord has shown me
little glimpses.
Today is not the day that you
are going to die.
You got ten more seconds
to send her out
before we flush you out
and drive you into the river!
I want to believe you,
but it's, it's just that
That's all you need.
Pray for faith.
Watch what happens.
Now load this rifle.
And be ready.
All things be ready
if our minds be so.
- Let's go, boys.
- All right.
Come on!
Use the barrels for cover!
Come on!
Come on, you heathens!
Come on!
Doomsday is near!
Die, all!
Die merrily!
Oh, here we go!
Onion!
- Reload!
- Yes, Captain.
Onion!
Get that nigger sharpshooter!
Cook!
Come on!
It's Junior!
Open the door! It's Junior!
Open the back door!
John!
John's at the back door!
Open it!
- Goddamn it. Father!
- Help him! Help him!
They're about
to overrun the bridge.
We got a chance to pull out
and make it across,
but we have to go now!
- No, no.
- If we don't make it across,
- we'll be trapped.
- No.
It's time to move, Captain.
- We're getting killed across
- Hold your position!
They're gonna storm it
at any minute!
We can't give up the high cover!
Hold your position!
John, John, John, come here.
I need you to hold the bridge
and keep it till I get there.
- It's our only way out.
- Father
Cook! Robert!
Take Onion. Go find Owen.
I'm sure the army's
assembled by now.
- Go, go, go!
- Sure, we can drop out the back
with all the commotion
and the smoke,
but we got to go right now.
Right now!
We got to leave. Now!
Get out now, Captain,
before it's too late.
- Hold your position.
- No
Reinforcements are coming!
Hold your position.
You're supposed to be holding
the bridge while me
and Bob get the bees.
I can't even get to the bridge.
That's what your
father said to do.
Up to us to find some bees.
Well, where are they?
- Onion, where are the bees?
- I don't know, John,
but if we find them, we'll
bring them back to you.
Father's sending you back
so you won't be sacrificed.
Go. We'll cover you.
Quiet, tense music
You going back down there?
I wouldn't go back down there
if the risen Christ hisself
was walking the streets.
- Let's git.
- Git? Git where?
I have an idea.
Oh, he has an idea.
There was only
one place I knew the bees
was actually being hived.
You full of riddles.
You know these people?
I know one of them.
There's the sissy now! Glory be!
- Is John Brown here?
- He's in Harpers Ferry.
He's taken the armory
and holding it,
- lock, stock, and barrel.
- I knew it!
- I told y'all it was happening!
- Impossible!
Now, look here.
I am Colonel Lewis Washington,
and I demand that you
and your kind leave my house,
lest you be punished
with this impudent nigger.
Your demanding days
are done, old fart!
- Is you with John Brown?
- Of course we are.
We're here to help
hive to the cause.
- Now, let's arm these recruits.
- I am grandnephew
- to George Washington!
- Oh, and I am
the king of Spain.
The George Washington?
Damnation. Look at this!
"To George Washington
from Frederick the Great."
- You should have it, Bob.
- Why you giving it to me?
The Old Man would
want you to have this.
It's, um symbolic.
I ain't got no use
for no symbolic sword.
You really kin
- with George Washington?
- Take my guns, take my slaves,
the whiskey,
but please, let me be!
Will you just be a man?!
I'll bet you're probably
not even a real colonel,
ready to t-trade your life
for a bottle of whiskey.
Some kind of Washington you are.
What a disappointment.
Come on. Everybody.
Hear me. Hear me.
Go round the Gourhand place
and rally up any Negro
wanting to breathe free air.
Tell them the insurrection
has busted loose.
Wait a minute. Insurrection?
Jim!
Now, you got to stop
this nonsense!
Jim, we're gonna
talk this through.
You are in a heap of trouble,
and I don't want you to make
things worse for yourself.
I ain't taking
another word from you.
I've been listening to the shit
dribbling out your mouth
- for 22 years.
- You ungrateful bastard.
- I been good to you!
- You skunk!
You been good to me?
You sold off my mama!
- Hey! Hey!
- You sold my mama!
You been good?
Where's my mama, huh?
- Where's my mama?!
- The Old Man say
it's a war of liberation,
not retribution.
I don't care what you call it!
He's as big a skunk
as ever sneaked in the woods!
I got a better idea of what
to do with this bugger here.
Whatever it is, we gots
to move these people now.
The captain needs
reinforcements.
Well, you-you ain't thinking
you ain't thinking
of taking these folks
back to the Ferry?
We got orders, Bob,
and I aim to follow them.
You know what's waiting there?
We'd have to fight our way in!
Bob, I have another plan.
We're just gonna walk in,
nice and easy.
And all of us and the Old Man
will be free by nightfall
and in the wind.
Yeah. If we're
stopped by militia,
you will see us through.
- They will never let us.
- Hey.
You're a colonel.
It's time to act like one.
Pull yourself together.
Now, say, "I'm here to exchange
myself and my Negroes
for all the white prisoners
inside the engine house."
And that's all you say.
I-I can't do it.
Well
then I believe I'm gonna have
to bust a charge in you.
Follow all my instructions,
and everything
will be just fine.
Whoa.
Lively, pulsating music
Hyah!
Shit, man, this nigger could
drive a mule up a gnat's ass.
We're doing it, Bob.
We're gonna make it.
You're doing great!
Oh, shit!
You think this thing
could go any faster?
Stop! Stop right now!
It's them!
Hey! Get down!
Hey, put your head down.
Whoa!
Hyah!
A little quicker would be nice.
Hyah!
- Stop shooting!
- What?
- Ooh!
- Stop the shooting!
Hey, keep us on the run!
I ain't never gonna see
my family again.
Don't say that.
Cook has a good plan.
- We got Washington!
- Come on, Winston, come on!
Stop the shooting!
Oh!
Y'all okay in there?
Come on! Come on!
Shit!
Scoot over!
I wanted to believe
but I can't.
Bob. B-B-Bob!
Bob! Bob!
Colonel Washington is here!
Bob's jump from the carriage
threw the militia hounds off us,
so by the time we got
to Harpers Ferry,
folks there really thought
Colonel Washington
was gonna save them from
that nigger-loving John Brown.
If you think looking at them
half-cocked, drunken Virginians
holding every type of weapon
under God's sun
staring back at you
with murder in their eyes
is a ticket to finding
Jesus our Savior
you'd be spot on the dot.
By the stillness
from the Rifle Works,
I figured they was all dead
up there.
Four good men I'd known.
Maybe more.
Slow, somber music
Whoa. Whoa!
Yes!
Exactly as I thought.
Everything's working
out just right.
Welcome.
Welcome, men.
What's your name?
You're Old Man John Brown?
That's right. At your service.
My name's Jim.
Jim.
That little shit right there
is Master Washington.
Ah, James.
You're a free man,
master to no one but yourself.
And, you,
sir, turn away
from your sin, sir.
- Turn away from your sin!
- You are an evil,
- cockeyed bastard!
- And you are
a valuable prize.
Well done, Cook, well done!
Now, James,
it's an honor to serve with you.
I'll guard your life as my own.
Welcome. Welcome, men.
Now,
John, aren't you supposed
to be guarding the bridge?
We ran out of ammunition.
- I already told you.
- Well, take more.
Where's your men?
We took a licking, Father.
They're all dead.
It's just us left, Captain.
This is it.
And that's why we got to leave
right now.
What is Onion
doing here?
What is she doing here?
What is Onion doing here?!
- She came back on her own.
- No!
No! No!
No! No! No!
No!
She is supposed to be hiving
more bees in safety!
She is supposed to be safe!
She wanted to come.
The fighting's
gotten dirty, Onion.
Oh
It does my heart good
to see you here.
I suppose the Lord wanted
children to witness this day
of your people's liberation.
He wants white and Black alike
to tell the story.
Come.
This day is living history.
Onion, right now.
Someday, your grandchildren
will ask you about this day,
ask to see
your scars and look upon them
with envy!
Having you here is almost like
having my son Frederick here.
Frederick was
the first of my boys
to give his life for the Negro.
Course, he didn't know
the difference
between an African
and an Indian and a Chinaman.
Hey in there!
Fellas!
Out here, they gonna give you
about ten more minutes
before they commence attacking!
So, Mr. Brown!
Where's our colonel?
And how many hostages
you gonna give up
for our colonel and his Negroes?
How many hostages?
How about none?!
Ha, ha!
These descendants
of African kings and queens,
these children of God
have played you
for a fool, good mayor!
They've taken
your Washington hostage
and joined the fight
for their freedom!
All right, but
exactly how many is "none"?
You have the mathematical skills
of a politician and a fool!
Sir, my-my understanding
was that
we was about to have
a negotiation
involving possible exchange
between Colonel Washington
- and some hostages.
- Free the Negro people
and Washington will be free!
If you want
your Colonel Washington,
come and get him!
Get ready, Cook.
- Here goes.
- Please!
Mr. Brown, I approach you
as-as a friend
to the white
and the colored alike!
But I can't stop these people
for long!
Well, remind them:
I have 50 hostages in here!
And if they're hurt,
the sin is on your head!
Okay, but
I'm trying to warn you!
Captain.
Captain, what's happening?
Maybe they're loading a cannon.
No. They wouldn't-wouldn't fire
a cannon at us.
Would they?
Brown!
Federal troops are coming.
And-and these folks here
are beyond my reasoning
with them.
They believe you to be
an insane criminal!
Well, tell them
slavery is a crime and a society
that supports it is insane!
- That's right.
- I am
the sanest man
you have ever seen!
I-Is there a-a Negro
named Copeland in there?
Copeland, you in there?!
Copeland, you in there?!
Uh, I'm here!
Your mother and father
are sending
a-a lawyer on your behalf.
Word has it
you're an educated
young man, a-a sensible Negro.
Y-Your people
can't believe you're involved
in all of this.
Come on out, son.
My answer to you
is you better not educate
any more Black folks
or they might read
the Declaration of Independence
as I have done.
For Christ's sake, Copeland,
your parents paid good money
to this Boston lawyer!
Come out here
before we all get killed!
I prefer to stand
my trial here, Mayor.
Let me explain something
to you, Copeland.
This country
was made by white men
for white men.
You colored are not free
because you're better off
under our care.
If you think
Jesus
Charge it to the Lord, heathen!
Heathen
Stop, stop. Cease fire.
Approach!
Stop.
Soldiers approaching!
Squad, halt!
- Battery in position!
- Aw, shit.
Captain, what now?
Citizens of Harpers Ferry
Think they gived up?
- retreat to your homes!
- Has they?
Make way!
Stand aside, folks.
Slow, somber music
Return to your homes!
Christ's grace is more powerful
than anything man can do.
Of that, we can be certain.
Let's move him.
Move him over with the others.
- Ready?
- One, two
You're in a pickle now, Brown.
It's over.
We're all gonna die,
and I don't care anymore.
You're surrounded!
You'll be in hell by 4:00.
Oh, God.
If only Owen were here!
Cook.
Yeah. I know.
You, and, uh,
Jason take a prisoner
and begin exchanging
the hostages
- for the Negroes.
- Father, let me go for Jason.
No!
Get Jason. Get a prisoner.
Owen, I'm sure, is waiting
with the hived bees,
waiting for our signal,
upon which he will commence
a rear attack,
thus provoking our escape.
Father, the time to head
to the mountains was yesterday.
Oh, have faith, son.
The game is not up yet.
Slow, tense music
All right,
we're gonna begin the
the exchange of hostages
for the freedom and
and-and-and safe passage
of every Negro in this building!
All right, now,
put your weapons down!
We have a woman coming out!
Just put your weapons down!
You! Put it down!
Come on, come on, come on.
Ready!
- Aim!
- Hey.
Easy.
All right.
All is well.
Uh
Fire!
"Trouble of the World"
by Mahalia Jackson
Why would they do that?!
Soon it will be done
Trouble
Why would they do that?!
Why would they
They shot my son!
They shot my son.
Trouble
Of the world
Trouble
Of the world
Soon
Die like a man.
Be done
Trouble of the world
Going home
To live
With God
No more
Weepin' and
Wailin'
No more
Weepin' and
Wailin'
No more
I reckon he's dead.
Weepin' and
Wailin'
Going home
To live with my Lord
I want
To see
My mother
Going home
To live
With God
Soon it will be done
Trouble of the world
I'm going home
To live