While the Men Are Away (2023) s01e06 Episode Script
Catch Him With His Panzers Down
1
ROBERT: Harry's dead. It
means Frankie's not protected.
She's a foreigner we're at war with.
You're lying to his family.
I declare this essential
patriotic facility open.
It's alright. I'm here.
Sadie. She's like us.
She says all the pickers
know and they don't care.
We don't have to hide in front of them.
We do have to hide.
If you wanna be with
Robert, be with him.
I should have never told
him to stay away from you.
ESTHER: Your actions affect people.
They affect me.
You You're hurting me, Des.
You're hurting me.
NEWSREEL: Loose lips sink ships.
With the enemy on our home
shores, we must remain united
in our resistance or all will be lost.
Japan continues to bomb our Top End.
Death and destruction
are creeping ever closer.
Enemy spies are everywhere
You can't trust
DES: Here you are.
Those deceitful Land Army creatures
said you'd gone to
Bathurst for supplies.
Chockie?
Mm.
Terrible, isn't it?
Not all bad, though.
The POW camp is going gangbusters.
Huns and Japs too now.
It's running like a well-oiled machine,
which means
I can step back a bit
oversee your brandy production.
We're managing fine.
Built a bigger still
to take all the apples.
I'd like to move in.
Loose lips sink ships.
(NEWSREEL CONTINUES FAINTLY)
We make a great team, you and I.
I've always thought that.
That's very kind of you, Des.
But Harry would never stand for it.
I don't think either of us need
to worry about Harry, do you?
He is still my husband.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he
hasn't run off with another woman.
Maybe something's happened to him.
I never trusted that Nancy boy.
That uppity black girl.
(NEWSREEL FANFARE PLAYS)
(MUTTERS IN ITALIAN)
GWEN: What's happened? More bombings?
It's Des.
He wants to take over the farm.
As in manage it?
No. Move in.
Why can't you just refuse?
You-you're a married woman.
Surely he can't force you.
He knows Harry didn't enlist.
He'll tell people if
he doesn't get his way.
And it's not me who will get hurt.
There's no body. He
can't prove anything.
It doesn't matter. He's a Whitmore.
I can't you can't
Where will he sleep?!
Hurry, Gwen. Hurry.
I'll get an advance on my inheritance.
I I could sell my engagement ring.
We could forge documents
saying that Harry enlisted.
Bribe the army!
This is my mess, not yours.
Wait. Uh
Are you breaking it off with me?
We had fun but it's over.
I'm not leaving you.
It was never going to last.
What? Look, I
I know you're afraid.
But what we have is real.
I know you feel it too.
(WHISPERS) You don't have to do this.
You just have to You
just have to believe in me.
In us.
There's too much you
don't know about me.
- I cannot tell you
- I don't care, Frankie!
You should.
I'm sorry.
ESTHER: Aren't you worried about Des?
Me makes my skin crawl.
ROBERT: In a good way?
Don't be silly, Robert.
This is serious. Aren't you worried?
What's this?
Pickers must have left it, I guess.
Don't get any ideas. I'm
not gonna spank you with it.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Well, well.
Jesus, first time touching one?
Wait till your mother
hears about this one, eh.
You spend all your time with me
and I know you can be
intelligent and articulate
but all you ever do is make fun of me.
What do you even want?
I think you know what I want.
Rough day.
- Be good to get out for a bit, eh?
- Oh, God, yes.
- Maybe I'll go into town.
- Mm.
Catch the matinee.
Oh, do you think I
could borrow the truck?
S'pose I could use the distraction.
Oh, of course I would invite
you to come too, but
What?
Well, I mean
you're y-you
know ? Aboriginal?
No. I mean, yes.
Yes, you are and I'm such an ally.
But I mean you're You're not
allowed to
(SOUTHERN ACCENT)
Well, it never stopped me before.
(SOUTHERN ACCENT) Oh, how
I adore the picture palace!
- (CHUCKLES) Come on.
- (LAUGHS)
- Thank you.
- USHER: You're welcome.
Tabitha! Tabitha?
What a lovely surprise.
- M'lady.
- Oh. (CHUCKLES)
Kind sir.
I-it's good to see you out and about
and only ever at the Picture Palace.
Cinema is my only solace.
Still in mourning, I see.
Till the day I join him
behind those pearly gates.
So good of you to chaperone.
Such an ally.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC ON MOVIE)
(ROMANTIC MUSIC ON MOVIE)
(NORMAL VOICE) I finally
know what they do to us.
Change the rules, make us
think we're going crazy.
Tell us the gas isn't
dimming, when it is.
So now
we do it to Des.
We light the gas on him.
I wish there was a
pithier phrase for it.
It can work. I know it.
We can't control what
he says about Harry
but we can control if he's believed.
First step, we cover why there's
no record of Harry enlisting
and isolate Des from his support base.
Fine. We give it the shot.
DES: Mother, what's this?
I got one too.
A birthday card, only three months late.
I told you my darling
Harry hadn't forgotten me.
Why would he write to me?
Let me see.
"Des. Stop making trouble.
Your constant questioning
about my whereabouts
is making my life very difficult.
The reason there is no
record of my enlisting
is because I am working as a
spy for the Australian government.
Don't tell anyone.
Destroy this letter.
And I'm not dead, so my wife won't
be marrying you. Leave her alone!"
What have you been doing?
You side with Harry every time.
Harry has done more for this
family than you ever will.
If it weren't for his farm keeping
us afloat, we'd be on the street.
I opened the POW camp.
Yes.
And if it's anything like your
other ventures, it'll ruin us.
So do you think that's Robert's work
or those deviant Land Army girls?
FRANKIE: What's this?
Harry would never write me a letter.
He knows I can't read.
It's not that I'm stupid.
It's called word blindness.
- Da Vinci had it.
- Mm.
It does look like Harry's handwriting.
I should never have listened to you.
We can't give up now.
Frankie, the letter's just the start.
We gotta see this through.
Now, we spread the word.
(WHISTLES)
- (WHISPERS) Now!
- (WAILS)
Mrs Whitmore?
- Mrs Bushell! (WAILS)
- Oh!
Oh, dear!
Have you had news from the Front?
Not Harry?
I really shouldn't say.
Oh.
Oh, of course!
You never know who's listening. But
you can trust me.
Only if you promise
to not tell a soul.
- No.
- A soul!
Oh!
- (WHISPERS) Harry's in danger.
- (GASPS)
- He works for the government.
- Oh.
- As a spy.
- Oh!
(WHISPERS) Harry Whitmore's a spy!
(WHISPERS) Harry Whitmore's a spy!
(WHISPERS) Harry Whitmore's a spy!
Harry
Harry Mr Whitmore's a spy.
He's gonna save us all.
Final step in lighting the gas.
(LAUGHS)
Take that, Des.
Can I trust you?
- Of course.
- I mean as in, completely?
You're being odd.
It's not the kiss, is it?
(CHUCKLES) No, it's not the kiss.
Um
What is it?
Just read it.
I hope you can
understand.
I know what it's like to
be different, you know.
Won't go to jail for it.
Is this your way of telling me
that you're not attracted to me?
I showed that to you 'cause I wanted
you to know the truth about me.
I like you
and I liked Terry.
It has always
been that way for me.
I'm attracted to to
the human, not the
I don't know what I'm saying.
What does that mean for me?
As a human?
Depends
whether you can accept it or not.
Des! Des!
You must be really proud of, uh
- you know who.
- Huh?
I call this emergency meeting to order!
There's been an
overwhelming amount of gossip
and it has to stop now!
Now, we've always been a friendly town
but you cannot trust
one another any more.
You never know who
could be an enemy spy.
Now I want you all to turn
to the person next to you
and tell them you don't trust them.
- ALL: I don't trust you.
- I do not trust you.
- I don't trust you.
- I don't trust YOU.
Mr Whitmore!
Just in time for the
lack-of-trust exercise.
This is fiction.
Mr Whitmore, that is
government property!
This is the work of the gang
of degenerates on my farm.
The degenerates?
They've been spreading
a ridiculous story
that my brother is some kind of spy!
That man
has been trying to convince
me that Harry is dead!
(ALL GASP)
Francesca.
He's always been jealous of his brother.
Have not. That's not true.
Neither is this.
Harry doesn't have the intelligence!
Why would his face be on
a poster if he's a spy?
He's obviously hiding in plain sight!
And you're jeopardising his
safety and ours by discussing it.
It is bizarre and insane
that you would believe this!
A mother knows when
her only son is dead.
Only son?
And Harry Whitmore is not dead!
- Traitor!
- TOWNSFOLK: Traitor!
ALL: (CHANT) Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
MRS BUSHELL: We've lost another one.
SOLDIER: Come on, mate. Let's go.
Mr Flanders has gone to God.
(ALL LAUGH)
KATHLEEN: We did it. We lit the gas!
GWEN: I can't believe
they fell for it! (LAUGHS)
(BOTH LAUGH)
GWEN: Traitor!
Boom!
I don't speak my
father's native tongue ♪
I was born under the Southern sun ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
I don't speak my
father's native tongue ♪
I was born under the Southern sun ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
It's easy enough for you to say ♪
It ain't no thing ♪
But I'm the one, you ain't the one ♪
Been living in this skin ♪
If you wanna call me somethin' ♪
Call it to my face ♪
But I will not apologise
for takin' up this space ♪
Every time you cut me down ♪
I'm gonna come back fierce ♪
The time is through for bein' nice ♪
Let's call it what it is ♪
I don't speak my
father's native tongue ♪
I was born under the Southern sun ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
I'll show you degenerate.
FRANKIE: A mother knows
when her only son is dead.
BOTH: And Harry Whitmore is not dead!
(BOTH LAUGH)
Your brothers. They're gone.
What do you mean they're gone?
Des was there. They rounded
'em up. Took 'em away!
I don't know where.
I tried, bub.
I tried.
(SIRENS WAIL, PEOPLE SHOUT)
('NATIVE TONGUE' BY MOJU PLAYS)
I don't speak my
father's native tongue. ♪
ROBERT: Harry's dead. It
means Frankie's not protected.
She's a foreigner we're at war with.
You're lying to his family.
I declare this essential
patriotic facility open.
It's alright. I'm here.
Sadie. She's like us.
She says all the pickers
know and they don't care.
We don't have to hide in front of them.
We do have to hide.
If you wanna be with
Robert, be with him.
I should have never told
him to stay away from you.
ESTHER: Your actions affect people.
They affect me.
You You're hurting me, Des.
You're hurting me.
NEWSREEL: Loose lips sink ships.
With the enemy on our home
shores, we must remain united
in our resistance or all will be lost.
Japan continues to bomb our Top End.
Death and destruction
are creeping ever closer.
Enemy spies are everywhere
You can't trust
DES: Here you are.
Those deceitful Land Army creatures
said you'd gone to
Bathurst for supplies.
Chockie?
Mm.
Terrible, isn't it?
Not all bad, though.
The POW camp is going gangbusters.
Huns and Japs too now.
It's running like a well-oiled machine,
which means
I can step back a bit
oversee your brandy production.
We're managing fine.
Built a bigger still
to take all the apples.
I'd like to move in.
Loose lips sink ships.
(NEWSREEL CONTINUES FAINTLY)
We make a great team, you and I.
I've always thought that.
That's very kind of you, Des.
But Harry would never stand for it.
I don't think either of us need
to worry about Harry, do you?
He is still my husband.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he
hasn't run off with another woman.
Maybe something's happened to him.
I never trusted that Nancy boy.
That uppity black girl.
(NEWSREEL FANFARE PLAYS)
(MUTTERS IN ITALIAN)
GWEN: What's happened? More bombings?
It's Des.
He wants to take over the farm.
As in manage it?
No. Move in.
Why can't you just refuse?
You-you're a married woman.
Surely he can't force you.
He knows Harry didn't enlist.
He'll tell people if
he doesn't get his way.
And it's not me who will get hurt.
There's no body. He
can't prove anything.
It doesn't matter. He's a Whitmore.
I can't you can't
Where will he sleep?!
Hurry, Gwen. Hurry.
I'll get an advance on my inheritance.
I I could sell my engagement ring.
We could forge documents
saying that Harry enlisted.
Bribe the army!
This is my mess, not yours.
Wait. Uh
Are you breaking it off with me?
We had fun but it's over.
I'm not leaving you.
It was never going to last.
What? Look, I
I know you're afraid.
But what we have is real.
I know you feel it too.
(WHISPERS) You don't have to do this.
You just have to You
just have to believe in me.
In us.
There's too much you
don't know about me.
- I cannot tell you
- I don't care, Frankie!
You should.
I'm sorry.
ESTHER: Aren't you worried about Des?
Me makes my skin crawl.
ROBERT: In a good way?
Don't be silly, Robert.
This is serious. Aren't you worried?
What's this?
Pickers must have left it, I guess.
Don't get any ideas. I'm
not gonna spank you with it.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Well, well.
Jesus, first time touching one?
Wait till your mother
hears about this one, eh.
You spend all your time with me
and I know you can be
intelligent and articulate
but all you ever do is make fun of me.
What do you even want?
I think you know what I want.
Rough day.
- Be good to get out for a bit, eh?
- Oh, God, yes.
- Maybe I'll go into town.
- Mm.
Catch the matinee.
Oh, do you think I
could borrow the truck?
S'pose I could use the distraction.
Oh, of course I would invite
you to come too, but
What?
Well, I mean
you're y-you
know ? Aboriginal?
No. I mean, yes.
Yes, you are and I'm such an ally.
But I mean you're You're not
allowed to
(SOUTHERN ACCENT)
Well, it never stopped me before.
(SOUTHERN ACCENT) Oh, how
I adore the picture palace!
- (CHUCKLES) Come on.
- (LAUGHS)
- Thank you.
- USHER: You're welcome.
Tabitha! Tabitha?
What a lovely surprise.
- M'lady.
- Oh. (CHUCKLES)
Kind sir.
I-it's good to see you out and about
and only ever at the Picture Palace.
Cinema is my only solace.
Still in mourning, I see.
Till the day I join him
behind those pearly gates.
So good of you to chaperone.
Such an ally.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC ON MOVIE)
(ROMANTIC MUSIC ON MOVIE)
(NORMAL VOICE) I finally
know what they do to us.
Change the rules, make us
think we're going crazy.
Tell us the gas isn't
dimming, when it is.
So now
we do it to Des.
We light the gas on him.
I wish there was a
pithier phrase for it.
It can work. I know it.
We can't control what
he says about Harry
but we can control if he's believed.
First step, we cover why there's
no record of Harry enlisting
and isolate Des from his support base.
Fine. We give it the shot.
DES: Mother, what's this?
I got one too.
A birthday card, only three months late.
I told you my darling
Harry hadn't forgotten me.
Why would he write to me?
Let me see.
"Des. Stop making trouble.
Your constant questioning
about my whereabouts
is making my life very difficult.
The reason there is no
record of my enlisting
is because I am working as a
spy for the Australian government.
Don't tell anyone.
Destroy this letter.
And I'm not dead, so my wife won't
be marrying you. Leave her alone!"
What have you been doing?
You side with Harry every time.
Harry has done more for this
family than you ever will.
If it weren't for his farm keeping
us afloat, we'd be on the street.
I opened the POW camp.
Yes.
And if it's anything like your
other ventures, it'll ruin us.
So do you think that's Robert's work
or those deviant Land Army girls?
FRANKIE: What's this?
Harry would never write me a letter.
He knows I can't read.
It's not that I'm stupid.
It's called word blindness.
- Da Vinci had it.
- Mm.
It does look like Harry's handwriting.
I should never have listened to you.
We can't give up now.
Frankie, the letter's just the start.
We gotta see this through.
Now, we spread the word.
(WHISTLES)
- (WHISPERS) Now!
- (WAILS)
Mrs Whitmore?
- Mrs Bushell! (WAILS)
- Oh!
Oh, dear!
Have you had news from the Front?
Not Harry?
I really shouldn't say.
Oh.
Oh, of course!
You never know who's listening. But
you can trust me.
Only if you promise
to not tell a soul.
- No.
- A soul!
Oh!
- (WHISPERS) Harry's in danger.
- (GASPS)
- He works for the government.
- Oh.
- As a spy.
- Oh!
(WHISPERS) Harry Whitmore's a spy!
(WHISPERS) Harry Whitmore's a spy!
(WHISPERS) Harry Whitmore's a spy!
Harry
Harry Mr Whitmore's a spy.
He's gonna save us all.
Final step in lighting the gas.
(LAUGHS)
Take that, Des.
Can I trust you?
- Of course.
- I mean as in, completely?
You're being odd.
It's not the kiss, is it?
(CHUCKLES) No, it's not the kiss.
Um
What is it?
Just read it.
I hope you can
understand.
I know what it's like to
be different, you know.
Won't go to jail for it.
Is this your way of telling me
that you're not attracted to me?
I showed that to you 'cause I wanted
you to know the truth about me.
I like you
and I liked Terry.
It has always
been that way for me.
I'm attracted to to
the human, not the
I don't know what I'm saying.
What does that mean for me?
As a human?
Depends
whether you can accept it or not.
Des! Des!
You must be really proud of, uh
- you know who.
- Huh?
I call this emergency meeting to order!
There's been an
overwhelming amount of gossip
and it has to stop now!
Now, we've always been a friendly town
but you cannot trust
one another any more.
You never know who
could be an enemy spy.
Now I want you all to turn
to the person next to you
and tell them you don't trust them.
- ALL: I don't trust you.
- I do not trust you.
- I don't trust you.
- I don't trust YOU.
Mr Whitmore!
Just in time for the
lack-of-trust exercise.
This is fiction.
Mr Whitmore, that is
government property!
This is the work of the gang
of degenerates on my farm.
The degenerates?
They've been spreading
a ridiculous story
that my brother is some kind of spy!
That man
has been trying to convince
me that Harry is dead!
(ALL GASP)
Francesca.
He's always been jealous of his brother.
Have not. That's not true.
Neither is this.
Harry doesn't have the intelligence!
Why would his face be on
a poster if he's a spy?
He's obviously hiding in plain sight!
And you're jeopardising his
safety and ours by discussing it.
It is bizarre and insane
that you would believe this!
A mother knows when
her only son is dead.
Only son?
And Harry Whitmore is not dead!
- Traitor!
- TOWNSFOLK: Traitor!
ALL: (CHANT) Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Traitor!
MRS BUSHELL: We've lost another one.
SOLDIER: Come on, mate. Let's go.
Mr Flanders has gone to God.
(ALL LAUGH)
KATHLEEN: We did it. We lit the gas!
GWEN: I can't believe
they fell for it! (LAUGHS)
(BOTH LAUGH)
GWEN: Traitor!
Boom!
I don't speak my
father's native tongue ♪
I was born under the Southern sun ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
I don't speak my
father's native tongue ♪
I was born under the Southern sun ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
It's easy enough for you to say ♪
It ain't no thing ♪
But I'm the one, you ain't the one ♪
Been living in this skin ♪
If you wanna call me somethin' ♪
Call it to my face ♪
But I will not apologise
for takin' up this space ♪
Every time you cut me down ♪
I'm gonna come back fierce ♪
The time is through for bein' nice ♪
Let's call it what it is ♪
I don't speak my
father's native tongue ♪
I was born under the Southern sun ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
I don't know where I belong ♪
I'll show you degenerate.
FRANKIE: A mother knows
when her only son is dead.
BOTH: And Harry Whitmore is not dead!
(BOTH LAUGH)
Your brothers. They're gone.
What do you mean they're gone?
Des was there. They rounded
'em up. Took 'em away!
I don't know where.
I tried, bub.
I tried.
(SIRENS WAIL, PEOPLE SHOUT)
('NATIVE TONGUE' BY MOJU PLAYS)
I don't speak my
father's native tongue. ♪