Domina (2021) s02e08 Episode Script

1
In return
for my son's life,
I want you to take
the life of one of Livia's.
Tiberius and I have sworn
to restore the Republic.
If he ever sees you
as a threat or problem,
you'll be dead.
I want you to take Germany.
This is a fucking
enormous honour!
It's a ten-year suicide note
is what it is.
And I'd be asking yourself
why it's got your name on it.
I need to
decipher his letters.
I never forget my friends.
Tiberius,
I know you won't agree with me.
But now is the time to act.
Don't tell Mother or Piso.
We have to get him
recalled from Germany.
There's a darkness there.
It's consuming him.
Without your marriage
to me, Iullus, you're nothing.
Oh, I know
you're fucking Gallus.
If he gets you pregnant,
you're on your own.
It wasn't Vilbia,
Julia was sleeping with.
Julia?
No.
I'm not doing this
without a drink.
You don't do anything
without a drink.
We can't stay here.
We'll drown.
We'll never escape.
Left!
Livilla!
So, Vistilius let it slip
that you've refused
the recall to Rome.
Not refused, exactly.
More, sort of, postponed.
I just need some more time here
to agree the treaty
with the Cherusci.
Drusus,
you can't be serious.
I explained it all nicely.
To Caesar Augustus?
Are you mad?
Let me show you something.
I'm on the verge here.
The verge of something
fucking incredible,
that nobody has ever done.
A whole new Roman province.
From the Rhine
to the fucking Elbe.
Does Livia know about this?
I have not bled my army to death
in these fucking forests
for the last four years
so some jealous old man
can steal my honour,
and hand over my victory
to some undeserving fuck!
Just saying.
My beautiful love,
this is treason.
What the fuck?
Julia? Tiberius?
Children!
Lucius, Julilla,
what are you doing up?
Get to bed!
Tiberillus.
Hey!
Livia, what are you doing here?
This is your baby.
If you say so.
They all look the same to me.
This house is a toilet,
your children are wild.
You can talk, Mother.
You really set an example
for everyone there.
Mother, we weren't
expecting you back just yet.
What is Vipsania doing here?
You shame your family.
- I try.
- Livia.
Shit.
Livia, they told me
you were here.
Do you think Tiberillus
is starting to look
a bit more like me?
I can see
a bit of Julia in there,
not much Tiberius.
Do you think Tiberius would mind
if I adopted him?
But you already
have Gaius and Lucius.
But he's our only
proper grandson,
the only one
with your blood and mine.
Dominus.
Is that why you dragged me
back from the country?
No.
We need to talk.
You're back again?
You're going to Germany.
Now.
What?
You have to bring
Drusus back.
He refused the recall?
I don't care how you do it.
Of course.
Does Stepfather know?
He found out days ago.
It's all right for now,
I mean he's, er,
he's been good about it.
Drusus is Drusus.
It's a direct challenge
to his authority.
Not if it stays in the family.
If you get Drusus back,
I can fix it.
But he has to come back.
Make sure
you don't die, Father.
I'll look after everything
whilst you're gone.
I know you will.
Castor, Uncle Drusus
has been naughty,
and I need to go
and fetch him.
You stay with your mother
until I get back.
If anything happens to Drusus
because of this,
I will never forgive you.
It's because of you
he stayed there,
on the frontline,
year after year.
I begged you to bring him home.
So did Antonina.
And you knew
it was destroying him,
but you didn't care,
because you wanted him to win.
He wanted it, too.
He's a child.
He needed a mother.
Bring him home, Tycho.
Ten days there.
Ten days back.
I sent Tiberius.
He'll be back in three weeks,
with Drusus.
Speaking of Tiberius,
Gallus came to see me
while you were away.
He said he was sure Tiberius
had been seeing Vipsania
behind his back.
Naturally I told him
he must be mistaken,
because Tiberius
is now married
to my daughter, Julia,
and nobody would shame
my family like that,
least of all one of your sons.
Then the very next day
I get that letter from Drusus,
refusing my direct orders.
I don't believe
in this treaty of his.
He should be in Rome.
He just wants to please you.
He is in charge of an army!
An army he could lead
against me.
I need to know I can trust him.
He's Drusus.
That's all
anyone needs to know.
Get the boys in line, Livia.
Or I will.
Don't worry.
Has Piso ever talked to you
about restoring the Republic?
Piso? He's 150, what a joke.
Fuck!
Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!
Livia, I heard you were back.
We need to talk.
Not a good time.
Ah, not for me either.
I'm pregnant.
What?
Who's the father?
Well, as you imply,
it's obviously not Iullus.
We haven't been
in the same bedroom for years.
Fortunately, there's
a simple solution.
You leave Rome,
you give birth in the country,
the child goes to a slave.
Don't be absurd, Livia.
I'm not spending
the fucking winter
hiding in some dreary house
in the middle of nowhere.
I'm very attached to the father,
and I want to keep his child.
Why shouldn't I?
Because it's not
your husband's.
Quite.
So, you need to go to Iullus
and get him
to accept the situation
and pretend the child is his.
Don't look at me like that.
You did it for Julia,
when she got pregnant
with Tiberillus.
You make sure Tiberius
shut his mouth
and raised the brat as his own.
Well, if you can get
Tiberius to do that for Julia,
you can get Iullus
to do it for me.
Because everyone knows
how my uncle
dotes on Tiberillus,
the first true blood grandchild
of Livia and Caesar Augustus.
Well, nobody wants
scandalous rumours
about his paternity
flying around the senate.
Oh, and I suggest
you get a move on
with this, Livia,
because I'm starting to show.
All right. Let's go.
I don't like this.
You should have a proper escort.
They're disguised
as merchants from Gaul.
It's a secret meeting,
that's the point.
The Cherusci are taking
a risk with this treaty.
And so are you.
We should be on our way
back to Rome already.
It's not far.
I want to achieve
one last thing,
before I go.
A treaty to give to Augustus.
The chance to consolidate
our gains here.
You know?
Mmm.
Germanicus.
Thank you, Livilla.
This will bring me luck.
Not that I need it.
We're going home.
Come on, you two.
Let's get packing.
There's been a leak.
Someone's betrayed you.
Maybe Drusus, too.
Gaius can't know for sure,
about me, us,
the Republic, everything,
or we would be dead.
Certainly I would.
Look,
when Tiberius brings
Drusus back,
everything will calm down.
You've handled Drusus,
you just need
to handle everything else.
Need to handle Domitius,
you need to handle Julia.
She's a drunk.
The kids are feral.
Tiberius is fucking Vipsania.
Marcella is blackmailing you.
Your husband
wants to adopt Tiberillus,
which clearly you can't allow,
some other fucker's bastard
at the heart of the family.
I've lost control.
Just need to clean house, Livia.
-I know.
-Before the boys get back.
Are you
happy, Ballomar?
Yeah, sure.
Me, too.
You know what
my philosophy of life is?
No, tell me.
I don't have one. Hmm.
Look at my brother,
he's the second
cleverest person I know.
All those books he reads,
Plato and the other one.
Is he happy? No.
He's miserable.
Or, my mother,
who is the cleverest person
I know.
She's forever thinking
about something or other.
Thinking away.
Does it cheer her up?
Does it fuck.
Drusus.
Here. For you.
Your time has come.
Death is waiting.
It's a trap,
General, run!
Look out!
Aelina?
I've made the arrangements.
All right.
Let's clean house.
Shh.
Get off. Fuck off!
Fuck off.
Gaius, Julilla,
Agrippina, and Castor,
you will stay here for now
until I say otherwise.
Your schooling will resume.
This is your tutor.
All right,
good luck with that.
The children will stay
with us for a while.
Right, Domitius. Let's go.
Antonia, we need to talk, too.
Iullus, please wait
for Livia in her room.
What's this about?
Your husband
is the next governor of Africa,
he'll be gone for some years.
Oh, does he know that?
Gaius is telling him now.
He's going to hate that.
So will I.
You will stay in Rome
with your children.
Oh, I thought you'd be happy.
It's true my marriage has been
extremely trying at times,
but still
it feels disloyal.
You are too nice.
Your mother was right.
Yes, she complained
about it constantly.
I suppose I should thank you.
What I need is your help,
with Julia and Iullus.
Livia has sent Julia
to dry out on our family estate.
When she sobers up,
Livia wants you and I
to help her remember her duties,
as her two oldest friends.
Wait is she locked up
out there or something?
Fine.
Anything else?
Yes, Marcella's pregnant.
And she wishes
to keep the child.
And what?
She wants me
to pretend it's mine.
It would be better
for the family,
-for every one--
-But not for me.
Iullus, we can't
have another scandal.
I won't do it, Livia.
Not for you, or the family.
And never for Marcella.
Now that I finally understand
how this family works,
I assume sidelining me
in Africa was your idea?
This is Rome.
Women have no ideas.
As I recall,
I respected your wishes
about Julia's marriage.
But then you got
Vilbia's brother to kill me.
But I, I admire that, I do.
It took imagination and guts.
But where does it all end?
I think we should make up,
you and I.
Your father was
one of the great Romans.
I admired him very much.
Yours was not.
I despised him.
Yes. It's different
burdens to bear.
Mmm.
What did you have in mind?
I will keep your secrets,
and support your ambitions
with my husband.
And in return?
I own you.
Governor of Africa, huh?
That's practically a reward.
He tried to kill us both!
It's no use being emotional.
I like being emotional!
He's more
useful to us alive,
and you know it.
But Marcella is not.
You're not serious?
Iullus won't raise her child.
That is an issue.
She's been a problem for years.
I know.
And I've been very patient.
But still, the risk.
Hmm.
Tiberius Claudius Nero!
Alert the General.
Tiberius!
How did you get here so fast?
Where is he?
The wound's gone bad.
I've seen it a thousand times.
There's nothing to be done.
I'm afraid you're just in time.
And just so you know,
he can't see.
Who's that?
Antonina?
It's me, Drusus.
And your brother.
Tiberius?
Brilliant.
Just in time for
the squalid and violent death
you always
so cheerfully foretold.
You're not going to die.
Yes, I am.
No, you're not.
Tycho.
I'm glad you came.
Tiberius isn't going
to be of much use.
I suppose Mother sent you up
to drag me home.
She's going to be
furious about this.
I'm glad I'll be dead.
What happened?
A German warband,
random ambush.
They got a little girl
to hold them up
and then attacked them
from the sides.
He got a spear through the leg.
A German guide carried him home
when night fell.
The others were killed.
We were coming home, Tycho.
I was all packed and ready.
Hey, hey.
It's hard for you, I know.
But it's only death.
In the end,
we all go over the river.
I'm looking forward
to meeting Grandfather,
and seeing Antigone again.
And that cunt Marcellus.
He'll still be seething
Mother poisoned him.
Yes.
Don't be sad.
I did everything I wanted.
I drank, I
I gambled, I fornicated,
and I married,
and I loved,
and I went to war.
I gave my wife children
and brought no dishonour
on my family,
which not many people
would have bet on.
No.
I would've liked
to see the kids grow up,
and take Livilla to her wedding.
Will you do that for me?
Of course.
And then you can finish
what we started.
No.
That's over.
Without you,
the Republic
No.
It isn't.
-Yes, it is.
-No, it isn't.
-Yes, it is.
-Swear to me.
Swear you'll do it.
For me.
Mother will
make the arrangements,
all you have to do
is turn up and smile.
Please.
I swear.
I want you to end it.
We both know
where a wound like this goes.
You can't ask that of me.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
Tycho will help you.
Sorry I'm late.
You're always late.
You never answered my question,
about adopting Tiberillus.
That's a great idea, thank you.
I think about
the future a lot now.
The grandchildren,
the Rome they'll live in.
-Iullus tries hard.
-Mmm.
Domitius is a good man.
-We can trust him.
-We can.
But I worry about Drusus.
Yes. Well, he has
no interest in politics.
Hmm.
And Tiberius has no ambition.
Hard to believe
they're both yours.
I know.
Lately, I've been really feeling
the weight of it all.
Maybe it's just age.
Sometimes I just think
Fuck it,
I should just hand it all back,
for real this time,
restore the Republic,
retire.
Open that whorehouse in Pompeii
we always dreamed of.
I could, you know.
The senate
would take it from me.
It would make your father happy.
You want to give away
everything we've built?
Fuck you.
And fuck the Republic.
If you ever
talk about this again,
I'll divorce you.
Get a message to Piso.
Fuck.
I'm still here.
I'm ready.
Call Antonina.
Sleep well, Drusus.
Tycho?
Take care of everyone.
Tell Antigone I miss her.
Tiberius.
It's okay.
Please.
I welcome it.
Thank you.
Don't marry again.
Never.
Mother.
Will you write to Rome?
We should tell the men.
Daddy.
Livia.
There you are, at last.
How's it going?
Julia's still pretty furious.
Keep her locked up.
I won't change my mind,
so don't start.
I won't.
Then why did
you wanna see me?
It's time to pay
your debts, my love.
Wait here.
I'm not a slave.
Who knew?
Your message was alarming.
Gaius knows about Drusus,
the Republic.
He was testing me
last night. Me!
If he knew
he wouldn't be testing you out.
But how can he know
and not know?
Then who's the leak? Marcella?
I don't know either.
Well, we'd better
find out, Livia.
Our lives depend on it.
I wanted to thank you
for bringing my brother back.
I know he trusted you.
He trusted everybody.
That's why he's dead.
Are you telling me
that my brother's death
wasn't an accident?
It was sort of, but
sort of not.
It was always
going to end like this,
and he knew that.
Vistilius,
he just said to wait.
Vistilius loved my brother.
Not just your brother.
Can someone please
see to Claudius, please?
Yes, Domina.
His body is ready to go back
when you are.
Listen, Antonina,
after your mourning period
you'll marry again, of course.
And when that time comes,
I hope you'll consider me.
Obviously that will be
your uncle's decision but
I'm sure he won't object.
Vistilius.
I want to take
my brother home now.
It's about time.
I haven't seen
or heard a word from Iullus.
He's out on your family estate.
I assume you dealt with him.
Well, he understands
the situation.
He'll raise the child
as his own?
He has conditions.
Conditions?
He expects you out there
at your convenience
to discuss them.
All right.
Thank you, Livia.
Finally.
He could get lost in a bedroom.
Hello, Iullus.
You look much better.
She is much better.
Antonia can't know.
Nobody can.
Our secret.
Forever.
What the fuck?
I love her.
I always have.
Oh, the Gods.
It was you?
-It was you all along?
-It was always him.
What? And
this is your condition?
That I keep your secret
in return for mine?
No, Marcella.
I'm afraid not.
We know
you'd never do that.
Do you feel bad?
Not at all.
This is your
last chance, my love.
Get away from me.
Keep on going
and never look back,
because I will destroy you
and everything else completely.
I know.
But somehow
it always seems
better than the alternative.
Welcome back.
It's done,
as is our debt to you, Livia.
I've alerted the slaves
that she's missing,
but it might be days
before they find the body.
And when they do
you're going to tell everyone
she came to you
about her pregnancy,
wracked with guilt and shame,
and desperate for a way out.
I did what I could, but
She took her own life,
like a Roman.
Leave that to me.
Livia!
Uncle wants to see you.
It's Drusus.
True then?
He died of his wounds.
Father's putting it out
that Drusus fell from a horse.
He feels it would be
bad for morale
if people knew
that their greatest general
had been killed by Germans.
But even I think
that's just mean.
Where's Livia?
Well
that's it.
It's over now.
So
you're giving up?
You're just going to let
Drusus die, for nothing?
How dare you?
You made a throne for Rome
and you put your husband on it,
and you're just gonna
walk away from that,
so that he can hand his tyranny
on to some fucking relative?
You don't inherit Rome.
That's a fucking insult.
You have to take it,
and we are going to take it.
We are going to take it back.
You are going to end
this tyranny with Augustus.
Your father died for that.
So did your son.
You don't get to walk away.
You don't.
I'm Livia,
daughter
of Marcus Livius Drusus,
and I walk where I want.
From Drusus.
I'm sorry, Mother.
Don't be
too disappointed in me.
I tried my best.
But Tiberius
will help you finish
what we started.
I made him promise.
Your son, Nero Claudius Drusus.
I have something
to tell you, Mother,
but you're
not going to like it.
Drusus was betrayed.
The day after Drusus died,
Vistilius proposed
marriage to me.
I was shocked.
The niece
of Augustus
is a startling match
for Vistilius.
His family
are provincial nobility,
nothing more.
Yet he told me
that he was certain
my uncle would agree.
All of which
naturally started us thinking
about Stepfather
and Vistilius.
And then we remembered
the letter that Drusus
wrote to Tiberius,
about restoring the Republic.
And we remembered the courier
that Drusus trusted
to deliver it.
Vistilius.
Yes, that's how Gaius
knew about everything.
"Don't tell Mother or Piso,"
that's how it ended.
That's why
you are still alive.
And that's why
he sent Drusus to war,
and kept him there.
It wasn't an honour,
it was a death trap.
Yes.
And Vistilius
knew all along,
because he was a spy
for my uncle.
And there's
the dilemma, Mother.
Without Stepfather,
you're nothing.
If you take your revenge,
you'll lose your power.
If you keep your power
you'll spend
the rest of your life
with the man
who killed your son.
But he didn't die
entirely in vain.
No.
At least I'm free,
released from
your hopeless quest
to restore the Republic.
That dream
died with my brother.
You should have killed me
when you had the chance.
Yes.
Yes, I should.
My money's on power.
Is he right?
Which is it?
-Revenge or power?
-I will have both!
And Vistilius?
I want him dead.
And I won't wait.
You won't have to.
Gaius will take care of that.
I should have brought
him home years ago.
I should have asked you.
You were right,
everything you said.
Are you gonna put Tiberius
on the throne after Augustus?
Yes.
Undo everything he's done,
bury his legacy?
I will.
Now you're gonna have to burn
the whole fucking house down
with everyone in it.
Good night, Piso.
Good night.
Oh, Tiberius, I just wanted
to see if you're all right.
Tiberius?
Oh, it's you.
If you see Tiberius,
send my love.
I want to be
alone with my son.
Dominus.
You're not my son, of course.
But you are Tiberillus,
grandson of Augustus.
And I know you're innocent
of all of it.
The lies
the killings
the vengeance.
Everything that made Rome great.
But life isn't fair.
But on the bright side
you'll never
have to run for Consul.
Or worry
about restoring the Republic
of Rome.