Faraway Downs (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

Chapter Two: Secrets

1
[BUDJERAH AND MATT CORBY: THE WAY]
Just one ♪
Drop from ♪
The sky like the ♪
Teardrop ♪
That forms in my eyes ♪
It brings ♪
New strength ♪
To take its claim ♪
Regeneration ♪
To heal our pain ♪
Ride into the wind ♪
Until you're home again ♪
Feel it in the rain ♪
Can you find the way? ♪
Feel it in the rain ♪
Can you find the way? ♪
It's time we start to relay ♪
The wonders of our history ♪
Our breath defies ♪
The story's page ♪
The songs created ♪
The path we made ♪
Ride into the wind ♪
Until you're home again ♪
Feel it in the rain ♪
Feel it in the rain ♪
Can you find the way? ♪
The way, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
Feel it in the rain ♪
The rain ♪
Can you find the way? ♪
The way, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
Feel it in the rain. ♪
[MEN SHOUTING IN LANGUAGE]
Why would Fletcher block the water pump?
I don't know. All crazy.
Whitefella, blackfella, all crazy!
Crazy.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
[MUTTERS DRUNKENLY]
M'lady.
Don't get up.
I have some questions for you, Mr Flynn.
Your husband was very
kind to me, Lady Ashley.
He was a good bloke.
Everybody loved him.
SARAH: Yes, yes.
But-but I have a failing.
Maitland felt that,
uh, the measure of a man
was the extent to which
we overcome our failings.
And I'm afraid, uh, by that measure,
I have, uh, let him down rather badly.
The truth, Mr Flynn.
And don't pretend to hide
it like that bottle there.
This ledger which,
uh, Fletcher had me keep
for the benefit of your husband
is a tale of decline and ruin
redolent of the great Gibbon.
There is however another.
Kept for the benefit of Mr Carney,
in which is recorded
all the unbranded
fat cattle.
[OPERATIC SINGING PLAYING ON GRAMOPHONE]
You let him steal from my
husband and you did nothing?
A man like Fletcher is adept
at discovering one's secrets
and using them to his advantage.
I acquiesced to his
demands. I'm a coward.
And the boy.
He is Fletcher's son, isn't he?
As with all things Fletcher,
it's impossible to prove anything.
Still, if Carney's good Christian wife
ever comes to the same
conclusion as yourself,
Fletcher's chances of marrying
their daughter would be dashed.
I'm going to the authorities
and I will be telling them
Carney is the authority here.
Are you suggesting I
let him steal my cattle
and buy my property for a
fraction of what it's worth?
I am suggesting that you continue to do
what your husband set out to do.
Drove.
Drove the cattle to Darwin.
Would you mind?
[WHISPERING] I need a drink.
M'lady, drove.
Drove the cattle to Darwin
sell them to the Army,
you'll break Carney's monopoly.
Use the profits to put
Faraway Downs back on its feet.
You go back to London,
you're sitting pretty
for the rest of your life.
[SIGHS] That's what
Maitland said he was doing.
And there's no reason
why you can't do the same.
[GULPS]
Ahhh.
FLYNN: There is just one small problem.
Having dismissed Fletcher,
there's no-one to muster the cattle.
[LOW, DISTANT RUMBLING]
[STIRRING MUSIC]
DROVER: Yah! Yah!
NULLAH: Flynn! Missus
Boss! It's the Drover!
[HORSES NEIGHING]
[MAJESTIC MUSIC]
DROVER: Yah! Yah!
Drover!
Drover!
DROVER: Yah!
[DROVER MUSTERING]
Arghh!
NULLAH: Yeah, Drover! Yay!
[DROVER MUSTERING]
Mr Drover.
DROVER: See any boys up there?
Goolaj, go see if they're
up in the top paddock.
Mr Drover?
DROVER: Get the bloody brumbies in.
I'll find out what the hell's going on.
NULLAH: You gonna teach me
how to break them horses?
DROVER: Fill the water trough, son.
Mr Drover! I need to speak to you.
Where the hell are all
the bloody stockmen, eh?
That's what I need
to speak to you about.
Where's Fletcher?
We disagreed and I dismissed him.
Dismissed?
- Yes.
- What about the cattle?
Well, it beggars belief,
but as he was leaving,
he deliberately let the
cows out of the, uh
I don't know, whatever you
call it. And they ran off.
Damn!
Do you realise, woman, what you've done?
Mr Drover, do not
take that tone with me,
thank you very much!
- Don't take that tone with you?
- No.
I'm asking ya, woman, do
you know what you've done?
I won't get another drove
this late in the season, right?
You've cost me my living!
Can't you just round them up?
Round 'em up, huh?
Oh, round 'em up, yeah.
Yes, you just go get them.
- 1,500 head of cattle.
- Oh!
Scattered over a million acres
with just me and my two men?
That's a great idea.
[MUTTERING UNDER BREATH] Stupid cow.
Mr Drover, I was right to dismiss
Mr Fletcher on moral grounds.
Moral grounds? You're
at that again, are ya?
Oh, let me guess. He wanted
to, uh, 'exploit' you, did he?
- Fancy ya, did he?
- What?
Is there any man in this
world who doesn't fancy you?
- Please
- DROVER: Huh?
Mr Fletcher is working for Mr Carney!
They were pushing the best
of the unbranded cattle
across the river onto
Mr Carney's property.
They were stealing!
[SIGHS] There's no surprises there.
No, he's a bad man.
Alright, alright.
But, look, you can't prove it, right?
- W
- DROVER: You can't.
And you can't win against Carney.
So just take my advice, lady,
grab King Carney's offer
and go the hell back to
England as quickly as possible.
That way, you'd make
everybody happy. Especially me.
[DROVER SHOUTS IN LANGUAGE]
So you're just going to walk away?
I learnt a long time ago not
to fight other people's wars.
Wait, wait, wait!
Mr Drover, wait! Please, please, please!
Mr Drover, please, please!
Wait, ple I
Listen, you said that your
dream was to breed a thoroughbred
with with a bush brumby.
If you agree to help me, I
I will give you my Capricornia.
[CAPRICORNIA WHINNYING]
But how are we gonna do a drove
with just me and my two men, huh?
Oh, crikey.
Some white stockmen like to have
an Aboriginal woman on the drove
to keep 'em company at night.
They shave their heads,
make 'em look like boys
and work 'em like any other
stockman during the day.
That's, uh what did you call it?
'Exploiting them'.
Exploiting, yes.
DROVER: Anyway, we're still in trouble.
Alright, we gotta have
seven good riders, at least.
And the most I can count is five.
What have we got? We got me.
- You.
- Magarri.
GOOLAJ GOOLAJ: Yo, boss.
We got Daisy: nice ride.
And, uh, Bandy: good work.
Oh, what about Mr Sing Song?
Mr Sing Song, ride horse?
Hey, don't look at me, huh?
Cook's Wagon at best.
So we got five. Right?
It's not enough. We need
two more experienced riders.
I did that run once back in 1935
with Magarri, Dingo Jones
and the Drongo brothers:
true knights of the outback.
Mr Flynn, can you ride?
- I can.
- DROVER: I won't carry a drunk.
But don't.
Alright, five and a quarter.
Six and a quarter.
DROVER: What?
Lady, this ain't trotting
in Kensington Gardens.
Mr Drover, I could show you
a thing or two about horses.
Pretty sure when it comes to horses,
there's nothing you can show me.
Bring the horse.
- You can't be serious.
- Bring the horse.
Oh, this should be interesting.
[STIFLED LAUGHTER]
[BIG BAND SWING MUSIC]
Making that horse dance.
[DAISY LAUGHING]
[ONLOOKERS LAUGHING]
[LAUGHING CONTINUES]
[HORSE WHINNIES]
Move along! Rah! Rah! Move along!
- [CATTLE LOWING]
- Rah! Rah!
What are you doin'?
Shoo! Rah! Rah, rah! Rah! Rahhh!
Move it! Move it! Move it!
You're going the wrong way.
Rahhh! Rahhh!
Rah, rahhh!
Ah. It's easy!
Stubborn things. [GRUNTS]
- DROVER: Hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey.
- SARAH: Come on.
What the bloody hell are you doing?
You're scattering 'em
all over the place.
Get up the back there, up the
tail. Get up the tail, will ya?
Get up there. Go, go, go, go, go!
Don't let 'em break away.
[DROVERS MUSTERING]
[BIG BAND SWING MUSIC CONTINUES]
I think we're doing pretty well.
[MUSIC ENDS]
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATION]
MAGARRI: What you reading, bro?
DROVER: Banjo Patterson.
- MAGARRI: Banjo?
- DROVER: Yeah.
If you shut up, then
I can actually read it.
[MAGARRI LAUGHS]
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATION]
[MEN LAUGHING]
GOOLAJ: Who put the salt in my tea?
DROVER: It was his idea, mate.
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATION]
- And that too.
- You crazy! Take all this!
Where you think you going? Shanghai?
A lady never knows what
she might need. Hmm?
[GASPS]
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
[VANITY CASE CLATTERS]
Run, Nullah! Run!
Run!
Run! Tank! Tank, Nullah, tank!
- Bandy! Coppers!
- Hurry up!
[OMINOUS MUSIC BUILDS]
- MAN: Set 'em loose.
- YOUNG MAN: Get out. You too.
Check the east side.
Move, move! Hurry up.
Oi [SPEAKING INDISCERNIBLY]
MAN: Hey, Chinaman.
Daisy's in the tank,
missus. She can't swim.
Hey, Chinaman where's the creamy?
Is that right?
- [DAISY GASPING]
- Shh.
[WHISPERING] Bandy, tea, tea!
[SPEAKING CANTONESE]
[SING SONG CONTINUES SPEAKING CANTONESE]
Going droving, China?
Thank you.
SARAH: Can I help you?
[CHUCKLES] Cheeky bugger.
[TENSE MUSIC]
DAISY: Nullah.
Lady Ashley, Sergeant Callahan
of the Northern Territory Police.
[DAISY SHRIEKING]
[BOTH STRUGGLING]
CALLAHAN: I can't begin
to tell you, Lady Ashley,
how the tragedy which
befell your late husband
has wrung sympathy from the hearts
of every civilised man and
woman in the Northern Territory.
[DAISY GASPS]
CALLAHAN: Let me
assure you, Lady Ashley,
that the suspect, King George,
will be brought to justice.
But surely a witchdoctor
could conceal his own tracks,
Sergeant, could he not?
Makes no difference.
It's only a matter of time.
Your tea, Sergeant.
Thank you.
[FAINT SCREAMING]
- Shh!
- [MUFFLED SCREAMING]
Help!
[SHOUTS IN LANGUAGE]
[MUFFLED SCREAMING]
[DAISY SPLUTTERING]
[FAINT SCREAMING]
[BOTH STRUGGLING]
[TENSE MUSIC BUILDS]
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
Oh, incidentally,
I met up with your former
manager, Neil Fletcher.
He informed me that there's
a half-blood Aboriginal child
out here somewhere.
I thought we might pick him up
and put him in the good
hands of the Church.
I will be sure to look out for him.
Till we meet again, Lady Ashley.
[WHISTLING] Get 'em in the
back, Constable. Let's go.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
SARAH: Drover! Daisy and
Nullah are in the tank!
Help them! Quickly!
[TENSE MUSIC BUILDS]
NULLAH: Mama!
DROVER: I got ya, I got ya.
I got ya.
[DROVER GRUNTS]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC]
[SOBS SOFTLY]
Oh. Oh!
[WEEPING SOFTLY]
[SOARING MELANCHOLY MUSIC]
BANDY: Daisy! Daisy!
[BANDY WAILING]
[MAN SINGING IN LANGUAGE]
[MAN SHOUTS IN LANGUAGE]
[MAN LAMENTING IN LANGUAGE]
[MAN SINGING IN LANGUAGE]
[MOURNFUL SONG IN LANGUAGE]
[WAILS]
[MOURNFUL SONG IN LANGUAGE]
[SOBBING IN DISTANCE]
When someone dies in
the Aboriginal culture,
you're not supposed to
say their name again.
He needs motherin'.
Mothering?
DROVER: Yep.
You're a woman, so you
should go on, get down there.
I'm I'm not
I-I
What?
Good with children.
Oh.
[GENTLE SOBBING]
SARAH: Nullah.
I wanted to extend my condolences.
Would you, uh would
you like to hear a story?
Ah well, it's, uh it's called
It's called The Wizard of Oz.
Well, a wizard is a sort of magic man.
[MAN SINGING DISTANTLY IN LANGUAGE]
Really?
No.
Uh anyway, there's a girl
and there's a dog
Ruff. Ruff, ruff, ruff!
And there's a tornado
Well, no, it's a in
the film, it's a twister.
- Oh, no, no, no.
Twister's not a person.
It's like a big
[WHOOSHES] Like a storm.
Like the Wet.
Anyway, the story takes place
in a, um a faraway land.
Called Oz.
Oh, well
Yes, yes, lots of songs.
No, no, no, I No.
No.
Well, I, uh some
I'll sing a little.
[SINGING OFF-KEY] Somewhere over ♪
The, uh, the rainbow ♪
Oh.
Somewhere, umm, dum-dum, dum, dum ♪
Lah, lah, mmm ♪
And there's some birds and they ♪
Hmm, they're ♪
It's, uh
Some day I'll wish upon a a star ♪
And ♪
Uh, yes.
Wake up where the
clouds are far behind ♪
Dreams really do ♪
Come ♪
True! ♪
[SUSTAINED HIGH-PITCHED NOTE]
[EXHALES]
[MAN SINGING DISTANTLY IN LANGUAGE]
That's right.
We've got to get those
no-good big bloody bulls
into that metal ship.
Yes.
Will you help me?
Yes.
[KING STINGRAY: LIFE GOES ON]
[WRITERS: GOTJIRINGU YUNUPINGU
AND DIMATHAYA BURARRWANGA]
Life goes on ♪
To the future of another day ♪
Hey, all aboard ♪
Don't wait for someone else to say ♪
Stay the same ♪
And remember the aim ♪
What you going for ♪
So open your mind ♪
And leave your dream ♪
This is your destiny ♪
'Cause the sun will rise ♪
To bring another day ♪
What you waiting for? ♪
[SINGING IN LANGUAGE]
Life goes on ♪
Life goes on ♪
[SINGING IN LANGUAGE]
Life goes on. ♪
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