The Essex Serpent (2022) s01e04 Episode Script

Keep her safe.
Protect us.
Are you still not ready? What is it? Nothing.
It's just A party.
Reminds me of the old days.
Of London.
Michael can't hurt you now.
You just be yourself tonight.
Come on.
We're going to be late.
Uh, I'm not coming.
You go without me.
But Cora's our friend.
She'd be so disappointed.
Go on.
You need to change.
Charles will be here soon.
Can I take these to the goats? Not now.
We're celebrating.
With a party for your mother.
- They're for the guests.
- Ow! - What am I? - Hmm.
Is it too much? It's perfect.
And me? Oh, you've made such an effort.
Thank you.
If only we were at Simpson's.
Oh, I don't think they'd approve of my footwear.
Then I'm glad we're here.
That's better.
Is it? I bought you a present.
Open it.
Oh, uh Well, this is This is too much.
I should hope so.
Try it on.
Luke, I I will, of course.
Later.
I I thought you might wear it tonight.
It, uh It won't suit the neckline of the dress.
Um, keep it safe for me.
I really can't thank you enough.
Happy birthday.
Ah, they're here.
Hadn't you better change? I'll get it.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Please come in, everyone.
Good evening.
We bring wine and oranges from Harrods.
Thank you.
Please come through.
- Cora.
- Stella.
How good to see you.
- Happy birthday.
- Oh, thank you.
Please, make yourself at home.
We met at Michael's funeral.
Luke Garrett.
Ah, yes.
I read about your work.
Charles Ambrose, MP for Limehouse.
Now, where is she? - Ah, there you are.
- Charles.
- Thank you for coming.
- Oh, my pleasure.
- Now point me to the wine.
- There.
Ah, children.
Hello, Will.
- How are you? - Cora.
Will.
Say something.
Doesn't Cora look lovely? You certainly look clean.
- Please excuse him.
- No, not at all.
Who knew such treasure was buried under all that mud? - Can I try your piano? - Oh, of course you can.
Jo seems much better.
Uh, Dr.
Garrett, I owe you an apology.
I was rude when we met, and I'm sorry.
You helped my daughter.
- I shouldn't have lost my temper.
- Don't mention it.
Cora and I, we didn't see any harm, did we? I'd put her under hypnosis just the night before.
She invited me to, of course.
I did.
I can't imagine you doing anything you didn't want to.
I must, uh must take a drink to Stella.
- Thank you, John.
- Drinking water, are we? Think she wanted to impress you.
Well, it worked.
She's very talented.
Cora says you're a genius.
- Are you? - So they say.
My recent surgical breakthrough caused quite a stir.
Tell me, have you any interest in medical science? Human beings gutted like hens.
It's the future.
Dr.
Garrett, while I consider my faith an enlightened one You privilege belief over evidence.
It's not that simple.
Oh, no? I think the Essex Serpent has sunk its claws into you too.
Imagine it, even now, crawling up onto the marsh.
Perhaps I will have some wine.
Oh, do.
I'm dying to see how this is done.
More friends.
Excuse me.
Oh, no, thank you.
Password? You bloody Harold Lovely to see you! Nice to see you.
Come in! Can't believe you made it.
Right.
Where is the birthday girl? Ah, see! I told you I'd throw you a decent party.
- Spencer.
Hi.
- Happy birthday.
Thank you.
Happy Birthday! - Martha.
You look lovely.
- You do too.
We should nab Ambrose.
He must be in the kitchen.
Do you mind? Of course.
Is Cora any closer to finding her serpent? Well, I observed her halfway around Essex looking for dinosaur bones.
No.
Charles Ambrose? George Spencer.
Have you had a chance to read his letter? Indeed.
Good to meet you.
How did you persuade him to join your cause? Oh, well, perhaps the truth was enough.
Squalid tenements, families living five to a room.
I thought this was a party.
You know this woman's a raving communist? I wouldn't say that.
I would.
But a rather charming one.
Have you been to Ratcliffe, sir? Seen the conditions firsthand? I, uh, haven't.
But I have seen the Royal Commission and read Dilke's recommendation.
Which have had very little impact.
I have to take your word on that.
Why not let Martha show you around? She could show you how poor housing affects people's health.
Martha's a doctor now, is she? Well, of course not.
It'll be far better if you joined them.
I would love to introduce you to the young man whose life I saved.
Excellent.
We'll all go together.
Father? Did the serpent take Gracie for her sins? She's gone.
And there's nothing we can do now.
What if I'm a sinner too? Talk to Will.
Ask for forgiveness.
Father? Will? Forgive me.
Forgive me.
What are you doing here? What have you done? Nothing.
I just need to talk to Will.
Well, you can talk to me.
Where is he? Dancing with the devil, for all I know.
If you've sinned, the serpent will take you.
Hello, down there.
Are you coming out? I spotted your collection.
I've found hundreds.
These are the best.
We share a gift of finding beauty no one else sees, Frankie.
You're a public speaker.
- Say something.
- Of course.
Yes, indeed.
No, no.
Please, tell me.
Are we dancing? - 'Course we are! - Yes! - Patrick.
William.
- Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Right, here we are.
Go on, get this thing rolled up.
Hey, everybody! Whoo! Yes! Will? Is anyone there? Water? It's cold.
Aquamarine is named for seawater.
A stone to calm the waves and keep sailors safe.
I feel I'm more blue than any other color.
My hospital tests for respiratory diseases.
You've made a brave show of things, but you are very ill.
Stella? I think you know.
You must come to London as soon as you can.
I'll see you without an appointment.
Good.
- Garrett? - Life's for the living.
Garrett? This is lovely.
Oh, really? I want to see my husband dance.
Stella.
Uh have you really the energy? Since I'm too tired to dance, will my friend take my place? Oh.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm I'm all danced out.
And I I have no music in me, as you know.
It would give me such pleasure.
- I-I I don't know the steps.
- Just follow me.
Waist.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
One Sorry.
Will.
Uh, John.
I think it's time to go home.
- Charles? - Yes? - We'll speak soon.
- Yes.
- I should be heading off.
- Yeah.
Lovely to see you.
- Very enjoyable.
- Yes, always.
Father? You don't see that in London.
It's called the night shining.
What causes it? Some say moisture.
Some say it's ash from Krakatoa.
It's like the whole world is blue.
Look after each other, won't you? Good night, Charles.
Frankie's in bed.
Leave that till the morning.
I just want to do it now.
Jo's coat.
What? Well, she'll need it.
Right now? Well, I need the air.
Uh, I need to walk.
Sleep well.
Hmm.
Leave the window open.
You'll catch a chill.
I knew she'd never sleep after that.
Did you see Stella's face? Well, it isn't like I didn't see it coming.
I mean, every day his name comes up.
Every bloody day.
Twice on Sundays.
A vicar.
For God's sake, Martha.
- Stuck out in the marshes.
- Terrified by change, - paralyzed by possibility.
- Mm-hmm, and he's no dancer.
Thank you.
So what could she possibly see in him? What future can there be? She's collecting him.
She wants to put him in a little glass jar and then label his parts in Latin.
His parts? Very small jar, I suspect.
Microscope Oh.
God, I'm beginning to think I don't understand women at all.
Mmm.
Let's see.
Hmm.
Dance with me, vicar.
Oh! I-I I don't know the steps.
Oh, I can teach you.
- Perhaps I could read you a sermon? - Oh, yes, vicar! Read me the Gospel.
I want Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
All at once? Of course.
I'm Cora Seaborne.
I can have whoever I want.
What's so hard to understand about that? Nothing.
Come with me.
Come up with me.
Do you know how women work? Of course, I'm a doctor.
Yeah! What? You're thinking of her, aren't you? No.
Don't worry.
So am I.
Who's there? I brought scraps.
For the goats.
My friend.
What are you doing? Why are you there on the ground? Am I? It smells like death.
It's out there.
Crushing me.
My heart.
The water's black.
But look, the sky is blue.
The whole universe.
Alive.
And me, a part of it.
I feel half dead.
You'll want eggs with salt and a glass of cold beer.
Is that your advice as a doctor? As a drinker.
I'll miss my train.
You're not leaving because of I've misread a lot of things recently, but I think we understand each other.
Hmm.
Whatever I said last night, Cora's my friend.
And Spencer, mine.
Luke's gone.
I saw him heading for the station.
Did you not sleep? I walked all night.
I've made such a mess.
You've got a letter.
Who's it from? My new friend, Sali.
I must tell her about Ambrose.
There's There's so much to do.
So, you'll want to go back to London? As soon as you could spare me.
Naomi, breakfast! Naomi.
Naomi! Naomi! Naomi! Frankie? Did you go out walking last night? After the party, w were you at the beach? I-I woke up, and the sky was light.
Thought it was morning.
You mustn't go out at night by yourself.
What if you got hurt? I wasn't by myself.
Cracknell was there.
And what happened? Nothing.
Oh.
We were looking at the sky.
The tide was coming in, and then he died.
W Wha What did you say? He died.
How can you say that's nothing? After a while, it got cold, so I came home to bed.
W Was that wrong? For heaven's sake, Frankie.
Why didn't you tell me? How could I? You weren't there.
Naomi! Lord, have mercy.
Will? Was it a bad dream? I need to talk to you.
Last night at the party Open up! Open up! We'll talk, all right? Ah! The devil's loose in Aldwinter.
- What? - The serpent's struck again.
Cracknell's body's on the beach.
- Think he died of shock? - No, his neck is snapped.
It must have been the serpent.
- Everyone calm down.
Calm down.
- I told you.
I kept telling you we were in danger, - but you wouldn't listen.
- Has anyone seen my Naomi? She's not home, not slept in her bed.
She's been taken.
She must have been taken.
I said calm down.
- When was the last time you saw her? - Dinner time.
I saw her in church after that looking for you.
- Matthew, don't.
- Where were you? Please.
A friend of ours has died.
Friend? Whose friend? Not mine.
And what about the serpent? - Yeah.
- There is no serpent.
But it's been here, right here, where you're standing now.
- Yeah.
- It's attracted by our sin.
- It's feeding off it.
- Matthew.
First Gracie, now this godless man.
Judgment is upon us.
We must open up our eyes to the depths of our sins and repent.
Cora.
Cora, wait.
- Has the body been examined? - Get back.
Get back.
- Is Dr.
Garrett still here? - No.
He must have fallen.
Been concussed.
How could you know? But look with your own eyes.
He had some kind of accident.
You were there when we found Gracie.
Crouched by her side, - just like you are now.
- Henry.
- What of it? - We must look to our scriptures.
It was woman that was tempted by the serpent.
It was woman that ate the fruit and tasted evil.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No.
No.
Are you denying the Lord's word, Father? I won't use them for my own ends.
Where were you last night, Mrs.
Seaborne? Wha At home, with friends.
It was my birthday.
Making merry, as the devil did his work.
- Yeah! Yeah! - No, Will was there.
- You were with her? - Tell them.
Look, this has nothing to do with Mrs.
Seaborne.
Clearly.
- But I saw her son on the marshes.
- Jonah.
My son was with me all night.
- Will.
- See? She's lying.
She's lying! - She's a witch! - Wait, wait.
Hang on.
You brought the serpent here.
And you put a spell on him.
Stop it.
Enough! You did.
You and that half-wit child - Shame on you! - Cora.
Cora, leave now.
No! I won't! - Go! - What's that on her neck? She's marked.
She's the devil.
It's the mark of the devil.
Stop this! Stop it! Go.
Carry Cracknell to the church.
I'll administer to him there.
- I'm not touching him.
- Yeah, me neither.
Cora! Cora! Cora! Cora, stop! Cora! Cora! - You have no right to order me away! - They were out of control.
- They're frightened.
- You let them accuse me.
- You said nothing.
- I'm their pastor.
So, you can't be my friend and a man of God? I can't think clearly when I'm around you.
- I I lose my bearings.
- No.
I won't be blamed for their ignorance or your weakness.
Love is not a weakness.
What are you doing? Where are you going? We're all going back to London.
- Because of Cracknell? - No.
- Because of the serpent? - No.
Please, just, um, go and help Martha downstairs.
Lock your doors! Say your prayers! Pull! Bring her ashore, boys! - Bring her ashore! - One, two, three.
May God protect you.
One, two, three.
Pull.
- What are they doing? - They're not going to sea anymore.
- Because of the serpent? - Shut up about the serpent.
What are you doing? Protecting the village from sin.
From your sin.
She's done nothing wrong.
If anybody's sinned, it's you.
Scaring people, threatening them! Please, just take Frankie.
We're leaving.
Isn't that enough for you? May God's judgment pass over you!