Rurangi (2021) s02e02 Episode Script

1
(GENTLE MUSIC)
I'm moving on ♪
Hey ♪
Hey, hey ♪
I'm movin' on ♪
Hey ♪
Got nothing left to say ♪
Best be on my way ♪
Best stop of life ♪
I'm movin' on ♪
Oh! ♪
DAN ON PHONE: Yeah, I'll
see you at Mum and Dad's.
Wait. There's someone
who wants to talk to you.
- CHILD ON PHONE: Hi, Aunty Lelly.
- Aw. Hello, Tey-Tey.
Hello, my darling.
- (PHONE BEEPS)
- ON PHONE: Hi, Ellie.
It's Ron Mackie. I'm hoping
to get an update on Caz Davis.
- (PHONE BEEPS)
- ON PHONE: Caz Davis is due to
Lisa. Lisa.
- He's not returning my calls.
- I'm sorry for the uncertainty,
but Zeph Eldred will
be stepping in for Caz.
You couldn't wish for
a better replacement.
Sure, but any idea
when Caz will be back?
The students are all asking.
Hello? Ellie, are you there?
Electric's good. What else?
Uh, the milking stations.
Last time we had an earthquake,
some of the pipes cracked.
- I reinforced them, so they should
- (COWS MOO)
Won't be long, girls.
What am I looking for?
Something tall, dark and handy some.
And, uh, just the loose
seals on the cup liners.
Just give 'em a test;
see if they feel right.
They have a feel?
Yeah, you test them with your hand.
You just check what sound it makes.
I'll show you in a sec.
Awesome!
You know, farming's as much
about the gear as the cows.
You need to know this stuff.
You told Gerald you were staying.
Uh, yeah, while he's recovering.
And then you're gone?
Hmm. I don't think he got that message.
My life's in Auckland, Jem.
Can you go get the cows, please?
ON RADIO: I'm talking
tsunamis and earthquakes
we're seeing the levels
of sexual perversion
across our society
going through the roof.
And the gays, murderers
(CELL PHONE RINGS)
(GASPS)
(CHUCKLES)
GERALD ON PHONE: Hey,
is, um is Caz there?
No. Jem came to pick
him up this morning.
I just got off the phone
from Richter herself
the bylaw made the ballot.
- No way. That's amazing.
- (KNOCK AT DOOR)
Yeah. Look, Tessa and Murray
are coming over this afternoon
to celebrate, so come on over.
Uh, I might be somewhere
else this afternoon.
Oh, come on, girl. This is a
big deal. I'm putting on a feed.
I'm I'm going to the marae.
Oh!
Oh, good on ya.
Yeah.
Uh, look, I'll tell Caz
to call you when I see him.
- Yup.
- Bye.
(PULSING ELECTRONIC MUSIC)
Colleen, this is Nigel Harrington.
- Hi there.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
Keith says you're in communications.
Something like that.
Nigel's in public relations. He's
particularly good at crisis PR.
Well, I wouldn't call this a crisis.
Of course you fucking wouldn't,
you besprawling lubberwort.
- (GROWLS, GRUNTS)
- (SMASH!)
You and I are gonna get on really well.
I looked into what happened at the
reading of the bylaw to council.
This Caz Davis person -
it's a smart move connecting
it to him in people's minds,
because, you know, (WHISPERS)
'transgender people'.
Uh, we just need to turn
up the heat on things a bit.
Sir, Peter Wilson from the
dairy board is on the line.
I can put him through to
the green room if you like.
Uh, yes, please.
I'll leave you two to get cosy.
And, Patricia, would you
mind resending the mayor
the economic projections for the region
if the factory was forced to move?
I still haven't replied
to Anahera Tokatai.
The debate.
Oh, no, leave that.
Mr Davis.
Mr Davis.
Mr Davis.
- Hi.
- Oh, hey.
Uh, just Caz.
Uh, do you need any help or anything?
No, no, no. I'm good.
Actually
um, your group
Uh, yeah, Rainbow Feather
Splash Pattern. (CHUCKLES)
Um, where do you meet?
(CHUCKLES) Currently, the bus stop.
We were using my parents' garage,
but Dad found out and started
parking the tractor there. (CHUCKLES)
Seth, I need you to take
an order over to Dr Harris.
Yes, Mrs Woodcock.
- I'd better go.
- Yeah, sweet.
MAN: Save our farms.
What's 'save our farms' about?
- Dunno.
- (CELL PHONE RINGS)
Oh, that's Gerald. Can you grab
it? It's in the back pocket.
(CHUCKLES) No, the other pocket.
(LAUGHS)
- What are you doing?
- (CELL PHONE CONTINUES RINGING)
Right.
But flirting with me in the
cowshed's all good. You can get that.
(RINGING STOPS)
This is not good.
What?
Looks like Dad's bylaw got
through to the public ballot.
What?
I just don't get how they
got this out there so fast.
Wait. This is great,
isn't it? What's it say?
Not nice things.
RADIO: Actually, scientific
minds had prevailed,
and we've learnt that the
lights in the sky last night
were not an alien invasion
but a rainbow-coloured aurora
caused by the discharge
of static electricity
created when tectonic plates start to
That power in the air,
those beautiful lights,
that's Papatūānuku and Ranginui.
Imagine being separated for that long.
You'd have to make your own fun.
IN TE REO MĀORI: A question:
what's the word for those
lights, those earthquake lights?
- Oh!
- They're called Rūrangi.
IN TE REO MĀORI: Yes,
you're right, Anahera.
Rūrangi
another sign that we
are now in a time of
shift and reclamation.
Now, remind me who's coming
to the moko session today?
Āe.
IN TE REO MĀORI: Excellent.
See you all this afternoon.
- See you soon.
- Kia ora, Whina.
Kia ora.
Grab a beer. We're on the ballot.
- What is it?
- You need to see this.
They were handing them out in town.
Fuck 'em. Fuck 'em right in the ear.
Everyone knows that
Richter and Fresh Acres
are in each other's pockets.
They'll be behind this. We need
some dirt on her; make it stick.
We need people, not dirt.
What about the iwi?
- We need the farmers on board.
- It's a vote - a numbers game.
- How many Māori live around here?
- Yeah.
They're not interested.
Well, have you even reached out
to them? They're our people, Dad.
- OK, maybe we should just
- What about your crew in Auckland?
They're activists.
Nah.
That lot care about the environment.
Dad, you're ruling out
talking to iwi who live here,
but you want my friends
to come down from Auckland
to help with your bylaw.
My bylaw? Your mother's
bylaw. This is for her.
Those are exactly the kind
of skills we need activists.
This isn't their fight.
Well, Gerald's got a
point. The activists are
No. No. Dad just needs
to get over himself
and reach out to the local iwi.
What happened in Auckland? Did he
tell any of you why he came back?
When Mum's bylaw falls over,
you'll know who to blame.
I think I'll make the cheeseboard, eh?
Yeah. I'll make the cheeseboard.
OK.
(CAR DOOR SHUTS)
(PERFORMS KARANGA IN TE REO MĀORI)
(WHAIKŌRERO IN TE REO MĀORI)
Te aroha ♪
Te whakapono ♪
Me te rangimārie ♪
Tātou, tātou e ♪
(PEPEHA IN TE REO MĀORI)
- Kia ora, Lizzie.
- Tēnā koe, Lizzie.
Kia ora, whanau.
(CLEARS THROAT)
IN TE REO MĀORI:
IN TE REO MĀORI: Be strong, girl.
(WOMAN CLEARS THROAT)
- Kia ora, Anahera.
- Kia ora, Anahera.
IN TE REO MAORI: Cup of tea, everyone.
'Cos Uncle Harry will be
here, and he can do church.
- You're Auntie Beth.
- Mm.
Nan always talked about you.
Your nan taught me
how to play the guitar.
Yeah, I used to follow her everywhere.
Our grandfather gifted her
the last block of iwi land
on the other side of the river.
It was covered in forest, eh, Plummy?
Yeah, she was told to hold on to it,
keep it as a reserve for our people,
mm, untouched.
But she sold it.
- It's that new Murphy Meadows place.
- WHINA: Times were hard.
Yeah. She bought a house.
Other things.
Probably paid for her flash education.
That's enough, Beth.
(STONE SPLASHES)
Knew you'd be here.
- You and your dad.
- Yeah.
Can I borrow the ute tonight?
Yeah, sure.
Where are we going?
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
You know what: I belong here.
Those are my tūpuna on
the wall of that whare.
My whenua is buried here.
I'm sorry for what my nan
did for selling that land.
Beth!
Beth!
That pressure cooker
thing's happening again.
Yeah, all right, all right. I'm coming.
What was that you were saying about
the young ones, Beth? (CHUCKLES)
Moko tells the story of your journey.
It's there to guide you into the
leader you're going to become.
The word 'moko' some
say refers to Rūaumoko,
the god of volcanic
activity and earthquakes.
Mm.
Don't worry. If it happens again
next week, I've got steady hands.
(LAUGHS)
- (KNOCK ON WINDOW)
- Hi, Ellie.
Well, don't expect
me to do all the work.
Something bad happened.
I was, um, seeing someone.
We lived together sort of.
Sort of?
It's complicated.
Too complicated to
tell your best friend?
I tell you about my shitty break-ups.
It wasn't a break -up.
He died.
A couple of months before
You saw what happened. (CHUCKLES WRYLY)
WHISPERS: Oh my God.
Caz, fuck.
I'm so sorry.
I knew something was wrong.
What happened, hon?
Uh heart attack.
(SIGHS) That's terrible. I'm so sorry.
Uh
There's someone I want you to meet.
OK.
- JEM: Hi.
- Hi.
I'm Jem.
So, it's not acceptable to
drink or vape with a moko?
No. Kei te pai.
It's not a judge sitting on your
face; it's just there to guide you.
Āe.
- What about with sex and stuff?
- (LAUGHS)
All good.
I'd wait for it to heal first.
I don't think Missy
can wait that long, eh.
(LAUGHS)
So we've got a few spots
available next week.
So far, we've got Whina,
Matiu, Lynnie and Steve
receiving their moko.
Anyone else from our Māori whanau
that would like to join them?
I do.
Oh, kia ora. Come and see
me after, and we'll have a
Yeah, my mum used to always
tell me before I was born,
I waited in heaven till
the right family came along,
and I chose them out of
every one. Isn't that amazing?
And I've always had this calling,
and I think my time has
come to belong, you know?
IN TE REO MĀORI: My name is Agnes.
Kia ora, Agnes.
Come and see me after, and we'll
have a talk about your ancestry.
I may have made some
calls. (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS)
Hey.
- Caz.
- Caz!
- Oh my God. Caz, I missed you.
- I thought you'd left the country.
- You missed the party.
- I know. I'm sorry.
Hey. How are you?
Ellie.
Did Caz mention his dad's
chemical fertiliser bylaw?
- The what?
- I bought these notes.
Jem, what are you doing?
Oh, um, it's about the bylaw
in case your mates wanna help.
Business later, honey. Caz and I
have some dancing to do. (CHUCKLES)
You too, mister. Come on.
(UPBEAT DANCE MUSIC PLAYS)
(PENSIVE MUSIC)
- ELLIE: He's a hoot, that one.
- (CHUCKLES) Yeah. He is.
The bylaw could have massive
impact if the public votes it in.
Yeah, less nitrates and phosphates,
less runoffs, smaller herds,
more regenerative farming.
Since when have we
become dial an activist'?
Not everything we care
about happens in the city.
I get that this is important,
but we've got another round
of consultation for the BDMRR.
Births, Deaths, Marriages and
Relationships Registration Act.
- Busy.
- More like busyness as usual.
- Do you remember sleep.
- (CHUCKLES) Sleep.
The bylaw vote isn't for
another couple of months,
so maybe you folks could come
down when you're not so tired.
(LAUGHTER)
CHUCKLES: What?
I said 'folks'.
- It's not that.
- We're always tired.
Whina said that you wanted to see me.
Āe.
We wanna take you for a ride,
show you around the land.
How are you for Friday morning?
Uh, sure.
Man, we should've had her
back at the marae ages ago.
Never mind what happened, eh?
She's family, eh?
Sometimes it seems like there's gonna be
no guardians here for the
marae or us old people.
And I just guess I'm
a bit sore about that.
But, uh, I'm glad you're here.
Me too, Auntie.
- WHISPERS: Sorry.
- Aw.
OK, boys.
Sleep tight.
Love you.
But do not wake me up at 4am.
- Definitely take one of those, though.
- Oh, we're not, um (STAMMERS)
- Oh, no, the new resource kit.
- Oh.
Seems like it's needed down there.
(INSECTS CHIRP)
(SINGS INDISTINCTLY)
Shit. What time is it?
You're all good. Cows won't
even know you were gone.
- Oh.
- You know you talk to them in your sleep, eh?
It's like a magical dream,
except it really happened.
(CHUCKLES)
Are you OK to tell Dad the bad news?
Getting that crew on board was
always gonna be a long shot.
Why are we here?
I need to talk to Anahera
about something first.
I can't stop thinking
about the queer youth here.
I think I can make a real
difference if I stay in Rūrangi.
(AGNES CONTINUES SINGING)
Be my boyfriend.
What?
Be my boyfriend, please.
Save our farms!
Milk we always trust ♪
The whole town knows about you, mate.
Fuck off already.
- She's a bit Ignore her.
- You fuck off, you weirdo.
Hey, Jem, you better watch out.
People will think you
like that sort of thing.
I do.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
I do like this.
I like him.
I really wanna kiss you now.
No one wants to see that homo shit.
(DOOR OPENS)
I do.
Homos!
Piss off, Agnes.
(SCOFFS)
Important things. Important
things that aren't here.