Playing Nice (2025) s01e04 Episode Script

1
There is a man who is literally
tearing my life apart!
Why are you letting him?
Find the dirt, dig
it up, and use it.
If you think Miles did
something back then,
please, you've got to tell
me. I-It could be useful.
"Useful"?! Yes.
We're about to start
our custody case.
What's going on?
What happened? Sorry.
He's, uh, eaten some
cannabis gummies.
Yeah, gummies that he found in
your house and put in his bag!
We don't have any
gummies in the house.
I gave the last
of them to my dad.
Miss Edwards recommends
that on discharge,
Theo should reside
with the Lamberts
until the next hearing, during
which I will hear evidence
on where each child
should permanently reside.
You're sick, poisoning a child
just to get your own way.
Prove it.
SHE GASPS
LYN: Miss Wilson, Mr Riley,
you can see Theo now.
HE SIGHS
Hello, Theo!
Oh, hello! THEO: Hello!
Hello! Mwah!
Give Mummy a big hug!
Mwah! SHE BLOWS RASPBERRY
A super hug! Have
you gotten bigger?
I think you might've gotten bigger
since the last time I saw you.
What are you
building? A house.
A house! A big house!
A big house!
It doesn't look like a house.
There's a big hole in the roof.
That will make the roof nicer.
CHUCKLES Make the roof nicer.
Theo, where's it gone?
Where's it gone?
Where'd it go?
Wait, is it in?
Look! THEO GIGGLES
It's in his ear! Ahh!
More marbles. That
would explain a lot.
Theo, will you build some more?
Shall we get it higher? Yeah.
Shall we get it a
bit higher? Mine!
LAUGHS Oh! OK.
No, Theo, love. Don't Don't
we remember that we share?
Can Mummy have a go?
You're not my mummy.
Buddy
Theo
Of course, darling.
I am your mummy.
Mummy Lucy. Daddy Moles.
Are you not going to
write that down, no?
That the Lamberts have
been grooming our son
and telling him something that
we agreed that we wouldn't?
Come on now, Miss Wilson.
No, you're meant to be acting
in Theo's best interests,
so whose idea was it to
tell a three-year-old
something that's irreversible
about his parentage
without consulting his
actual fucking parents!?
I'm terminating contact.
I need you both to leave. No!
We're fine. We're fine.
No, we're playing.
We're all playing here together
as a happy family. This is
We've got an hour here
with him. Maddie
No. No, we're staying.
No, I'm not moving.
I'm asking you to leave
now. Mads, come on.
No, Pete, we have You
need to leave now, all right?
Say goodbye. Thank
you. Come on, Mads.
Come on.
SHE EXHALES SHARPLY Hey, Theo.
Little man.
Give Mummy a big, big, big
hug! Give me a big hug.
That's it.
Bye, little man.
OK.
MADDIE SNIFFLES
Madelyn, your mental state
has been a serious
issue in the past.
She's just having one
of her Maddie moments.
Shh!
SHE INHALES SHARPLY
Lyn Edwards'
report, it's brutal.
She's recommending Theo should
live with the Lamberts permanently.
No.
What?
The gummies, the aggression,
the missed session with David,
and your last meeting with
Theo didn't help either.
I'm afraid her reasoning
is pretty clear.
It looks bad, but they are
only Lyn's recommendations, OK?
There'll be other child
specialists advising the court
who will see that you're
brilliant parents.
We've lost this
already. You haven't.
The most important thing is how you
come across in court on the day.
You've got this.
JUDGE: We're here to determine
where Theo and David
shall permanently reside.
This is a difficult
and unusual situation.
Both parties wish to take
both children home with them.
Each side will have the
opportunity to make their case,
along with testimony
from expert witnesses.
How you doing?
It is my job to assess
the evidence presented.
I'd like to open proceedings
with Dr Elliot Taylor,
who will summarise his report
into the psychological
wellbeing of each child.
ANIKA: Dr Taylor, beginning
with Theo, you state,
"He is securely attached
to the respondents,
"especially to Mr Riley."
Is that correct?
DR TAYLOR: Yes.
Therefore, in your view,
removing Theo permanently
from their care would cause
significant distress, no?
Actually, it's unlikely to.
When I met Theo, I
noticed that he suffered
from very little separation anxiety
when his parents left the room,
and that's unusual for a child
that's securely attached.
Theo also exhibits some
callous, unemotional traits.
These can be inherited,
and they primarily manifest
themselves in uncaring
and socially
dissociative behaviour.
I see.
So, my respondents' parenting,
which you state clearly has resulted
in Theo being securely attached,
plays no role in this?
Oh, on the contrary.
Mr Riley and Miss Wilson are likely
to have a positive influence.
Their supportive parenting style
will have lessened any
difficult behaviours.
And what was your view of David?
In my opinion,
separating David from Mrs Lambert
will cause him huge distress.
I swear by Almighty God
that the evidence I give
..shall be the truth,
the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth.
I chose to give up a career in
journalism to take care of Theo
and work part-time.
It was the best
decision I ever made.
You miss him, don't you?
Yeah. Very much.
Because it's just you and
him, really, isn't it?
Miss Wilson has never
invested in the family unit.
What? No.
Do you consider yourself
to be a good parent?
I do. Even though
you work a lot,
often leaving Mr Riley to
do most of the childcare?
We all have to work.
He doesn't. He does.
I thought he'd been fired
from his gardening job.
Well, what I mean is Pete
works looking after Theo
while I work in a restaurant
that I own and run.
So, it's an arrangement on
your terms, you could say.
When Theo was one,
did you and Miss Wilson go and
see a relationship counsellor?
Yes.
Theo's premature birth
was hard for us both.
But there was never any
danger of us separating.
So, you'd say it's always been
a stable relationship, then?
Yes. I do.
Even though Miss Wilson
left your baby at home alone
and walked into the sea,
putting Theo's life
and her own at risk?
Your Honour, I don't see how
this is relevant to my
JUDGE: Proceed.
For how long did you suffer
from postnatal depression?
Six months.
The first six months
of Theo's life?
Yes.
And what form did
that depression take?
I was unwell.
You struggled with
overwhelming urges
to end Theo's life and your own.
No. Your medical notes state,
"Miss Wilson vividly describes
ways of ending Theo's life,
"drowning or smothering
him to stop his crying."
That's been taken out
of context. I was ill.
I almost died giving birth,
and then that baby was taken from
me and replaced with another boy.
This This whole experience,
in some ways, it's
taken us back there.
It's pushed us to the limit.
But she She is
an incredible mum.
She's fun. She's responsible.
She's tuned in to all Theo's needs.
We've only known David
a short amount of time,
and I think it's clear
how much we love him.
Throughout this whole situation,
Maddie's commitment to
both boys has been amazing.
If you think you can use this
this awful thing to undermine me,
then you can't be
aware of the impact
that these events have had.
I was devastated
that I couldn't bond
with Theo immediately.
I couldn't be the mother
that he needed, and
SHE SIGHS
..that made me
feel worthless.
But it wasn't my fault, and
I worked so hard to recover
with the doctors, with Pete,
with Theo,
and it made me
treasure what I
what what WE
have all the more.
Being allowed to
get to know David,
to make up for all that
time that we have lost,
I would put everything
into that
..and it would be
just as hard-earned
and just as special.
I know we can provide
the loving home
that both boys need right now.
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
I swear by Almighty God
..that the evidence I
give shall be the truth,
the whole truth ..and
nothing but the truth.
Right from the start, they
said they wanted to keep Theo,
and they only decided
to fight for David
after we said we
wanted both children.
Well, I mean, their personal
drug use is one thing,
but to just leave them lying
around for a three-year-old to find
and just help themselves
I didn't do that!
Please!
Continue. Thank
you, Your Honour.
He's unemployed, he's in debt,
he's out there
assaulting journalists,
and the Cafcass report
clearly paints them both
as neglectful parents.
I gave up my career for
David, and since he was born,
there's nothing else
I've wanted to do.
I made a commitment to my son,
and I don't understand how I
could have worked alongside that.
I mean, I think it's very clear
that I love David in a way
that no-one else could.
We adore Theo, and we believe,
as his biological parents,
we're best placed
to care for him.
I-I fell in love the
moment I saw my little boy,
and I see DOOR OPENS
I see, uh
I see myself in him. Um
And And my life would
be incomplete without him.
What are you doing here?
I heard you're trying to
take someone's son away.
I don't want you here.
I have a grandson I
never even knew about.
I'd like to meet him.
No.
You named your son David?
Do you think it's that easy
to replace your brother?
WHISPERS: Fuck you.
Uh, I'm sorry. I don't
I'm Miles' mother.
I expect that's something
of a shock to you.
No, he doesn't have a mother.
Hasn't changed.
He was always so angry.
You know what he's like.
I can see it in you.
I couldn't protect my
David from him, and now
..I have no sons.
I know what he's capable of,
and he doesn't stop until
he gets what he wants.
Is this really what's
best for your boys?
What if you win?
Are we going to talk about it?
About what?
Today.
All the things that woman said,
like you having a
brother who died.
A brother called David.
I mean, were they even true?
It's none of your business.
Who are you?
Get out of my
way, Lucy. No, no.
HE CHUCKLES
OK. CLEARS THROA
I'm your wife, Miles.
Please.
No.
You are my wife.
You're a useless wife
and a suffocating mother to a
child that isn't even yours.
You're nothing.
SHE BREATHES SHAKILY
Come to bed.
Is this little presentation
to do with you?
You got something to tell
me? Nothing to do with me.
JUDGE: A video was sent to
Cafcass anonymously last night,
and I believe it has a direct
bearing on the interests
of both children in question.
Miss Edwards.
So, what you are about to see
is a video from a security camera
inside the Lamberts' house.
ON VIDEO: 'If you can do the game,
if you can give me a high-five,
'you get a sweet
every time. Up for it?
'Number one.
'Boom! Yes!
'That gets you one sweet, OK?
'Here, eat that.
'Yeah, good boy.
'Number two.
'Boom! Yes, that's two sweets!
'Can you manage
that? THEO: Mm-hm.
'Mm-hm. Easy-peasy.
And number three.
'Three. Yes!
'Yes, that's three sweets!
'There you go.
Oh. There you go.'
LYN: If we look at the time stamp
in the top right-hand corner,
we can see that the video
was recorded an hour
before Theo was
taken to hospital,
seriously ill from
consuming cannabis sweets.
The A&E doctor who
treated Theo that night
has confirmed that they were
the exact same bright yellow.
It must have been
one of the nannies.
Stop making a fuss. SHE GROANS
You're embarrassing
yourself. Ow. Miles, stop it!
Do you know what?
It's the first time I've
felt hope in a while.
We haven't won yet.
JUDGE: This is an
extremely complicated case,
and as such, I have to
be absolutely certain
that changing each child's family
would be in their best interest.
Therefore, in light of
today's developments,
I am unable to make
a final decision
about where Theo and David
should permanently reside.
But, Your Honour,
he he poisoned Theo
and blamed it on Pete.
And I take the allegation
of deliberate poisoning
very seriously.
There needs to be a
full investigation
into the events
witnessed in the video.
In the meantime,
Theo will return to the custody
of Mr Riley and Miss Wilson,
and David will remain
with Mrs Lambert.
No. H-How's that allowed?
Additionally, I'm ordering that
Mr Lambert vacate the family home
until the investigation
is complete
and the danger he poses to
each child has been accessed.
LAWYER: It was always going to
be hard to get you both boys,
even without that video.
Well, then what the hell
are we paying you for?
THEO: I want chips! Chips!
You haven't even
said the magic word!
Please!
CHUCKLES OK.
Come on, then.
Hello, hi. WOMAN: Hi.
Could I get two small chips,
please, with lots of ketchup?
Two chips, lots of ketchup,
coming up. Thank you.
There's one. Thank you.
Hey, buddy, these are hot.
Eat them slowly, OK?
Two. That's £4, thank
you. Thank you. Great.
Uh
Lovely, thanks. Thank you.
There you go. Thank
you. Is that good?
Theo?
Theo?
Theo?
Theo!
Theo?
Theo!
Theo!
Uh, has anyone seen a young boy?
Uh, brown hair with
a yellow raincoat?
Yeah, I did.
He was walking with a man
- a tall man with a beard.
Which way did
they go? That way.
I thought they were
father and son!
Theo!
PHONE LINE RINGING
Fuck's sake, where are you?
Where are you?!
PHONE CHIMES
Please, God, no. Theo!
No! No!
Theo!
Theo! Theo!
Theo!
GASPS AND PANTS Theo! Help!
GASPS AND PANTS Help!
Theo!
HE GASPS
HE PANTS
HE SOBS
Where is he?
What have you done to him.
Tell me, Miles!
Where is Theo?!
Miles!
I wanted you to know what it
feels like to lose your boy.
TEARFULLY: Where is he? Theo!
He is MY son,
Pete. He is MY son.
He has been with
you for three years,
and there's not a
trace of you in him.
He is my blood!
If you loved David half
as much as I love Theo
Dada!
Theo!
PETE SOBS
Are you OK?
Hey, Daddy's here now. I
I love you, little man.
I love you so much!
I thought you were gone!
PETE CONTINUES SOBBING
Why are you crying, Dada? No,
no. You've done nothing wrong.
You've done nothing
wrong, I promise.
Hey, you.
Weren't you supposed to be
hiding till I told you? Hmm?
No?
Well, you're lucky that
I love you, darling. OK?
We're going to be
together so soon, OK?
And, Theo Theo,
one way or another.
One way or another.
THEY LAUGH
OK, watch this. Ah,
chooga, chooga, chooga!
Look, you see? Wobbly, wobbly.
Makes the man wobble-wobble.
Yeah, that's it.
So, they said they
sent a unit car around
and he's not there,
but they're going to
keep an eye out for him.
OK.
Hi, Mummy. Hi, baby.
Are you OK? Yeah.
Are you OK?
Yeah.
Good.
KNOCKING ON WINDOW
Can we talk?
Is Theo OK?
Mm. Yeah, thankfully, he thought
they were all just playing a game.
I'm I'm so sorry.
Miles did that to
you outside of court.
It's nothing.
Well, if he can do
that to you in public,
what can he do behind closed
doors? It's not like that.
Then what it is like?
You're scared of
him, aren't you?
I remember you so vividly now.
You used to sit for days alone.
I remember thinking,
"This poor woman is
in hell right now
"and nobody's with her."
Why did you send that
video to the court?
LUCY SIGHS
I think you should go.
There is a little
three-year-old upstairs
who's not going to
know you, not really,
not until you leave him.
I want you to go.
You can't stop him!
OK? I know men like Miles.
If you don't give him what
he wants, he will take it.
Lucy, you know that one
day he will hurt the boys.
Please, will you just leave?
You're not alone,
Lucy. Not any more.
LUCY SIGHS DEEPLY
We're in each other's
lives now, no matter what.
If you or David ever need anything,
just know that you can call me.
Look after my little boy.
SHE GASPS
Oh, my God. GLASS SMASHES
David!
David, where are you?
David!
Where's David?
I thought we could
go for a wee picnic.
No. I-I think we
should stay here.
David's already in the car.
He said he'd love a picnic
with Mummy and Daddy.
You look beautiful.
Come on.
Wrap up warm.
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
LINE RINGING
SOUL MUSIC PLAYS OVER SPEAKERS
PHONE VIBRATES
LINE CONTINUES RINGING
OVER PHONE: 'Hi, you've
got Maddie's phone.
'Leave a message.'
QUIETLY: Hi. Uh
Hi, Maddie. It's me.
Uh, listen.
Sorry.
Hey, come here. Stay
close, little man.
Mummy! Mummy? Where?
There! Oh, mate,
what? You're right!
It's Mummy! She's
here to pick us up.
Well spotted, Theo.
SHE SIGHS
Oh, there they are.
Give Mummy a wave!
Hi! CHUCKLES
Say, "Hello, Mummy!"
Hello, Mummy!
Shall we get Mummy a coffee?
Let's go and find her.
SHE YAWNS
AUTOMATED VOICE: 'You have
one new voice message.
LUCY OVER PHONE: 'Hi.
Uh Hi, Maddie. It's me.
'I wanted to do
this in person'
EXHALES ..but I just feel like
I won't get another
chance, so
'..I'm so sorry.'
I'm so, so sorry.
MUSIC: 'Violin
Tsunami' by Kishi Bashi
'I've been afraid
for a long time.
'Uh
'Miles has always
been controlling.
'Obsessive.'
When I was pregnant,
he became worse.
The truth is Miles hurts
the people he he loves.
I've always been
scared that one day
he would do something
truly awful.
So, when your son was left
next to me in the ward,
he was there less
than a minute, and
and the nurse came in and
she asked me if he was mine.
And I said
'And I said yes.'
And I wasn't thinking. It was
a moment of madness, and I
I followed my instinct
to save my boy.
But then when it was done,
like, I couldn't go back,
I couldn't I
could never undo it.
I couldn't I couldn't
go back because
SHE SIGHS
I'd left him to something
better, away from Miles.
And I thought it was
the right thing to do.
I'm sorry.
LUCY SIGHS DEEPLY
Then I saw Pete -
Pete with his his
kindness, his devotion
..and I knew my son was
safe in a more loving home
than mine could ever be.
Then I looked at David, so
helpless, so tiny, and I just
..I knew I would protect
that child, too, and
THEO CRIES
..and as long as I kept my secret,
then both boys might be OK.
My fingers float the sound
That there will
never be The end of us
The end of us ♪
The one thing I need you to know
is that I have loved
and protected David.
'I really have.'
And I promise you I have done
that with my whole heart.
Maddie, Miles is here! I don't
know where he's taking us.
Lucy! Let's go!
SHE BREATHES UNEVENLY
Mending the rift
Of our apathy ♪
SHE SNIFFLES
I have the answer ♪
Oh, God!
You will remain, ooh-ooh-ooh
Days on end After
the end of the cancer
One day you will follow
At the sound of laughter
One day we'll
Fall in love. ♪
Mummy's gone.
THEO: Mummy's gone!
I've been wracking my brain
trying to figure out who
you know, who would do that,
who would want to hurt
our family like that.
I mean, I've told you, I
I think it must have
been one of the nannies.
I think it was someone
closer to home.
SHE EXHALES AND SIGHS DEEPLY
Come on! Come on!
We're going to go fly!
Fine Eh?
Do you want him? Yeah.
Yeah? Yeah. Hi.
You'll have to help
me out here, babe,
because if it wasn't David
and wasn't the nannies,
then who the fuck was it?
Miles, I've told you.
I don't know!
Tell me! Tell me!
I have done everything for you!
Everything. And this
is the thanks I get.
LUCY PANTS
I cannot trust you again until
you admit to me that it was you.
You're scaring him. Please!
I fucking know!
I know it was you,
so just admit it!
Admit that you betrayed me!
You betrayed us! You betrayed
our family! Admit it!
Miles, please, OK? You've
got this all wrong.
You know what? OK, fine!
It was me, OK?!
SHE GASPS
David! Lucy!
The truth, finally.
You know, I have
lost a family before,
and if you knew
what that felt like,
there is no way you would
have been so careless.
Hey, just come come
away from the edge
and we can talk
about it, please.
It's OK. I'm so sorry, OK?
I'll do anything you want.
I don't believe
you. Oh, I am!
I don't believe you.
I believe that you betrayed
me to get what you wanted,
and now I have lost my son!
It's OK. I have
lost my son, Lucy!
Lucy!
Where are you?
Miles, please.
BREATHES UNEVENLY
No, Miles. OK.
I'll give her David.
Maddie - I'll give David to her.
OK? I know it's
all she wants, OK?
Sweetheart
And then you, me, Theo, we
can all be together, OK?
As a family. Please,
I'm begging you.
Please.
You'd give her David? Yes!
Yeah.
PANTING
SHE COUGHS
Oh, my God.
It's OK, baby.
It's all right. Really.
It's OK.
I will get Theo back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But I don't need you.
And I don't need David.
Lucy!
HE GRUNTS Run! Run!
It's all right. Oh, David
THEY GRUN
LUCY CRIES OU
No!
LUCY BREATHES RAPIDLY
Will you ever be
able to forgive me?
You did everything you
could to protect your child.
Are you going to be OK?
Yeah, I will now.
And I told him he wasn't
supposed to be here,
and he got really angry.
Um, and then I said I was
going to call for help
and and then he just left.
And, um, then we drove over here
cos we were worried
about David and Lucy.
She said Miles was extremely
distressed, aggressive.
We were worried that he might
try and take Theo again,
or, uh, hurt himself.
WOMAN: When he left, did you
see which direction he went?
Towards the coast.
MAN: Thank you, Mrs Lambert.
We'll do our best to find him.
MUSIC: 'Calming Storm'
by Michael & Michelle
Ready? Shall we run?
My heart is yours ♪
PETE AND MADDIE: Whoa!
MADDIE SQUEALS ♪
Battered and bruised
For God knows the cause ♪
You warm enough?
There's a need in my chest
For the blood that was lost
For your love was
A calming storm ♪
SHE READS STORY INDISTINCTLY
Be there when I need it most
Those days when the
clouds They fall and
I need the water
To wash me away ♪
CHILDREN CHATTER CHEERFULLY
The black dog is close
It's all that you know ♪
THEY LAUGH AND CHATTER
That life was yours
Deep in my blood
I know we were born
To be happy together
For the time that it lasts
For your love Was
a calming storm. ♪
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