This Country (2017) s03e03 Episode Script

Cynthia

1
MAN ON TV: I've been waiting for this one.
He keeps on about it on GMTV, you know.
I know. He makes me laugh, though, Lee.
Scary Spice were your favourite Spice,
wasn't she?
Yeah. I loved her
cos she were from Leeds
This is mental,
because they're watching TV,
and I'm watching them watch TV.
and whoever's watching this
is watching me
watching them watch TV.
TV: I was just born when they split in
2000, the first time around.
Yeah, so I wasn't even born
when they split up,
so they must be outdated now.
And if this ends up on an episode
of Gogglebox,
I'll be watching them
watching me
watching them
watch TV of me.
TV: But that's the way
of young television -
how many people she slept with.
KERRY: I can't think about that any more,
that's gonna make my head explode.
(WOMAN HUMS HAPPILY)
So, Dad came out of prison,
like, two, three weeks ago
and he didn't have anywhere to stay,
so Mum said he could stay here
if he did a bit of DIY
around the house and that.
(HUMMING CONTINUES)
And she's sort of been
singing ever since.
(SINGING TUNELESSLY)
All he's done is put up
a loo-roll holder.
The only DIY Martin's doing
is drilling Sue eight inches deep
into her memory foam.
He's porking her out big time,
that's why she's so happy.
I can hear 'em at it,
like a pair of greasy buffalos,
and I live three streets away.
And either Kerry is in massive denial
about the whole thing,
or when she sleeps
she wears industrial earplugs.
Budge up.
UKTV, London's Burning.
- (GROANS)
- Time Team's about to start.
Nah, London's Burning.
KERRY: It's nice seeing my mum and dad
getting back together,
er, it's just sort of adjusting
to having three people in the house now.
Er, but it's fine.
Er, it's just my dad's
a bit of a night owl,
and he really likes to play, like,
deer-hunting simulation games,
and the only computer in the house
is in my room.
Um, so it's just a bit of a shock, er,
when you're woken up at, like, 3am
by the sounds of, like, gunfire
and computerised elk
sort of screaming in agony.
But other than that, it's working well.
(TV ON)
Why do you wanna watch
that Time Team rubbish anyhow?
You know it's fake.
Yeah, Tony Robinson
just blacks up a few old coins,
drops them in the trench
when no-one's looking.
No, I haven't actually seen Martin
since he's been back in the village.
Er, I've been flitting about
like the first swallow of spring.
Er, I've actually been working
with Len, er,
helping him get back on his feet.
Um, a few weeks ago,
he hit rock bottom, and I stepped in,
and we've literally, er,
had to start from scratch.
But the progress he's made
has been fantastic.
Here he is.
Come on, come in, come on.
Wow, who's this handsome young man?
Len.
Len's been staying with me temporarily
until the council find him
some new accommodation.
But we got him scrubbed up,
a change of clothes, new attitude.
Oh, we we had a bit of a rocky patch
at the start, though, didn't we, Len?
- No.
- Yes.
You you were a little bit rude to Polly
for the first few days, weren't you?
No, I weren't.
Oh, OK.
Well, we'll agree to disagree on that.
But everyone's getting on well now,
which is great.
People think that being alone
makes you lonely,
but I don't think that's true.
Being surrounded by the wrong people
is the loneliest thing in the world.
I hope you're not thinking of Polly
when you say that, Len.
REV FRANCIS: I've also enrolled Len
into a computer club every Wednesday
called Silver Surfers,
which he's really enjoying.
Er, it's a weekly session
where we teach older members
of the village computer skills,
hence Silver Surfers.
Er, I came up with the name, yes.
I was quite proud of that.
Can can I?
Can I get onto Safari?
Well, what's wrong with Internet Explorer?
KURTAN: Yeah, I've been helping out
at Silver Surfers.
Er, it works out quite well
cos, er, Vicar needs my help
to teach people the computer,
and I need access to the internet
to make my memes.
Er, basically, Nan unplugged
the Wi-Fi here
because she reckons
the electromagnetic waves
are making me infertile. (SIGHS)
And she's desperate
for great-grandchildren.
So where are the e-mails on this, then?
So, well, this is Facebook,
- so it's a completely different thing.
- Oi, Len!
They're not the same? What?
You know they don't deliver e-mails
on a Sunday?
- Arthur, please.
- They don't what?
They don't deliver e-mails
on a Sunday, Len.
What? Do they not?
- Don't-Don't-Don't rise to it.
- What, is he?
A digital dinosaur or what?
Listen, right?
Stop winding up Len
or I'll tell the vicar
about your internet search history.
What?
"Big jugs" ring any bells?
Yeah, I need big jugs
to hold me orchids up straight.
So what do you need
a shaved fanny for, then?
MARTIN: You know, the best thing
you could've done was dob me in.
KERRY: Really?
Yeah, I had a lot of thinking time inside.
And I wanna make up for lost time.
That's really nice, Da.
Because the way I treated you
was absolutely disgusting, Ker.
Oh, it doesn't matter.
Cos I remember you
coming down the house
Yeah.
and you'd knock on the door
Yeah.
and I'd look out the window,
and my heart would sink.
Now, I'm just being honest with you,
telling you the truth, Ker.
Yeah, thanks
for that, Dad.
Yeah, I think my dad's changed
since he's come out of prison.
Um, he's more honest,
maybe even a tad too honest,
if I'm honest.
- And I remember when you was born
- Honestly,
you don't have to say any more,
- it's just water under the bridge.
- No, no, it's important.
(WHISPERS) OK
And your mother left the room
to get a breath of fresh air
and I was standing
over your little crib
listening to you snore
KERRY: Aw.
hovering the pillow over your face.
Not that I would've.
Yeah, yeah.
But I could've. You know what
- You know what I'm talking about, yeah.
- Yeah.
Oh, God, that feels good,
getting that off my chest.
KERRY: Yeah.
REV FRANCIS: So, how are you, Kerry?
KERRY: Yeah, fine.
Yeah, good. Um, I heard your dad
moved back in. How's that been going?
Yeah, it's really good.
Oh, that's excellent.
- How have you been doing?
- Yeah, good.
- Len still staying at yours with you?
- Yes. Yes, he is.
Hypothetically, right, um,
if I needed a place to stay,
do you think you'd kick out Len
because we're sort of closer mates?
- Just sort of hypothetically speaking.
- Um
Because I can give him a call,
er, if it's too awkward for you.
I'll just phone him up and go, er,
"Really sorry, Len,
"unfortunately, the vicar's found asbestos
in the walls.
"Also, you've gotta get out now.
"So, do you do you mind picking up
all your belongings and getting out?"
- Kerry
- "Within the hour"
- Kerry.
- "would be great."
Kerry, is there a problem at home?
No, I just fancy a new house.
Is that so is that such a crime?
- Jeez!
- No, all I'm saying is,
look, these things
these things can be difficult
to talk about,
but, like I've always said,
and we've always said,
you can't hide from a problem
and it's so much better to address it,
so do you wanna talk about it?
Well, it's sort of difficult to explain
because I'm a bit confused myself,
in a way, I suppose.
I understand. I'm I'm here to listen.
Why don't you try me?
Right.
Have you ever seen the kids' programme
Bodger And Badger?
- Do you remember that?
- Oh, yes. (CHUCKLES)
- Yeah?
- I think so, years ago, yeah.
- So, those two are funny, ain't they?
- Yep.
And I think it works
because they sort of
- balance each other out, in a way.
- Mm.
Because you can't have two Badgers,
because the place would just be covered
in mashed potato
and no-one's paying the rent,
as you can't have two Bodgers,
because nothing funny would ever happen
and that place would be utterly soulless.
Sorry, I'm not quite following you.
Right, so my mum's Bodger.
Right.
And I'm Badger.
- And your dad is?
- He's also a Badger.
- So a Bodger can't have two Badgers?
- No, not at all,
because there's not enough mashed potato
to go around.
Yes, I can see
how that would be a problem.
So what do I do?
(SIGHS) Well
I think you need to talk to Bodger.
I don't think he'd wanna get involved.
- I mean your mum.
- Oh.
Right, yeah.
Right, why don't you just talk to her,
Kerry?
Tell her how you're feeling
about the whole situation,
and then who knows?
Maybe you can come
to some sort of an arrangement.
Yeah, I suppose.
- Mm?
- OK.
REV FRANCIS: Yes, it's, er
Well, it's funny how the world works
sometimes -
you can wish for something
and then, when it finally happens,
it's not quite what you expected.
(CHUCKLES)
Like, er, well, for instance,
I I used to be a huge Paul Merton fan.
I always wanted to meet him.
Then, one day, er, I found myself
sitting opposite him on the train
from Didcot to London.
And I I heard him whisper very loudly
to his agent
(SIGHS)
"The boiled egg in the dog collar
keeps smiling at me.
"This is why we need to go first class,
Derek."
(SIGHS)
Mum?
Yeah.
Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
Thanks!
Yeah, I was thinking of talking
to Mum about Dad.
But what's good for me
is not necessarily good for her
at the moment.
She's in such a good mood right now.
You know, I haven't seen her this happy
since Auntie Linda
put on a load of weight.
Yeah?
Why? What's going on tomorrow night?
(SNIFFS) Ugh
I like Skittles, but that is wank.
(SIGHS)
REV FRANCIS: Edit profile, but I'm
LEN: Edit profile, really?
Again, I'm not entirely sure.
Oh, I tell you who will know, it's Kurtan.
Kurtan?
- Kurtan, now, er, Len
- Yeah.
wants to change
his relationship status
Yeah.
on Facebook. How can he do that?
Oh, easy, I can do it now.
Oh, wonderful.
- Relationship, eh?
- Yeah.
Blimey.
REV FRANCIS:
Yes, there's been some exciting
developments with Len,
and I never thought I'd say this,
but love is in the air.
He's, er, he's actually met
a lovely lady online from America
called Cynthia,
and they've been talking via Facebook.
I've, er, I've written a poem for Cynthia.
Oh, well, that's just lovely, Len.
Do you do you want to read it out?
- Er
- You don't have to,
but we'd love to hear it, wouldn't we?
- Really? All right. Let's have a look.
- Oh, yes, please.
Um
"You fill my days with sun
"You fill my nights with moon
"You fill the air with breeze
"You fill the arboretum with trees."
REV FRANCIS: Well, I I wouldn't say
it's been a case of turning water
into wine
because I knew
Len always had it in him.
I just think a lot of people felt
Len was a lost cause,
but what they failed to see
was his potential.
Er, it actually reminds me
a bit of Jesus and the leper.
Not I'm not saying Len has leprosy.
Although, he did have a fungal infection
from not taking his shoes off
for such a long time.
"You fill my dance with jive
"You are the only thing keeping me alive."
That's beautiful, Len.
All right, thank you.
Thanks very much.
Well done, well done.
KURTAN: Yeah, it's great
that Len's doing well. Um
But the problem is,
it's just fuelling the vicar's ego.
You should see him
parading Len around in the cafe
like a show pony, it's disgusting.
Yeah, and what Vicar doesn't realise
is that, ultimately, you can
never truly tame a wild beast.
You know, eventually,
they will turn on their captors
because it's just animal instinct.
It's like that woman who got her face
ripped off by her pet chimp.
Have you seen her face transplant?
Looks like someone threw a pancake
at her from the other side of the room.
It's bizarre - no features.
(MUSIC BLARES)
Oh, go on, Martin!
The boys are back in tow-ow-own!
Who wants another shot?
Hey!
# Hi-de, hi-de, hi-de-ho
# Hi-de, hi-de, hi-de-ho #
(LAUGHTER AND SHOUTING)
Yeah, I just decided, er,
I'm gonna have a sleepover
at Kurtan's tonight.
Er, I just don't really wanna be at home
at the moment
so I just really wanna go somewhere
where I'll know I'll feel welcome.
This is really,
massively inconvenient, Kerry,
and massively late notice.
I'm sorry, Kurtan.
Nan will go apoplectic
if she knows you're staying the night.
She's at Farm Foods now,
so you've literally got an hour
to practise keeping your clodhopping
and your foghorning
down to an absolute minimum, OK?
Oh, okey dokey.
(SIGHS) Even in the casual way
in which you just said okey dokey
makes me think you don't understand
the seriousness of this situation.
I do, Kurtan!
- OK, foghorning, Kerry!
- (SIGHS)
When you think
you're taking it down a notch,
take it down another four notches,
please.
- OK.
- All right, come in
- Thank you.
- and go straight upstairs.
My nan cannot stand Kerry.
She don't like house guests
at the best of times
but she just thinks
Kerry's completely out of control.
This one time,
Kerry left some Pringles shards
on the arm of the sofa.
Yeah, you don't come back from that.
And rightly so.
- Where's my squash?
- We're sharing this one,
otherwise she'll know there's two cups
missing from the cupboard.
Well, can I have a little bit?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
But ration it because I ain't getting
you any more.
(FRONT DOOR CLOSES)
Mm.
She's back.
(KEYS CLINK)
- Lee, my love?
- Yes?
You coming down for a natter?
Yes, one second, Nan.
Right, can you be trusted
up here on your own?
Because I've gotta go downstairs.
Natter, what's she mean by natter?
Just we natter, we have a cup of tea
We do it every evening, OK?
A lot like chatting, then?
No, nattering, big difference.
What's the difference?
Chattin' is like conversation,
natterin' is when you flitter
between subjects
without having to give it
a proper introduction
or link them to anything, OK?
What will you natter about?
Well, I don't know.
Wherever the nattering takes us, OK?
Just
Coming, Nan.
The problem with Kurtan is
he's just an old woman
trapped in the body of a young man.
Actually, that's wrong
cos he's also got the body
of an old woman.
So he's just an old woman
trapped in the body of an old woman.
NAN: Oh, no, and she's left her mansion
to crumble to bloody ruins.
KURTAN: Yeah.
NAN: All those pets and horses
and what have you?
KURTAN: God, I thought Springwatch
was so poor this evening.
NAN: Oh, yes.
KURTAN: No point having otter cam
then cutting to otter cam
for only, like, two seconds.
NAN: No, no.
Lidl's teabags may be cheap,
but they're bloody useless.
KURTAN: Yeah.
NAN: Do you know
where I've always wanted to go?
- Where?
- Scotland.
- I've never been to bloody Scotland.
- Yeah.
I'm so knackered.
Kurtan kicked me out
before his nan woke up.
Now I don't know where to go.
Like, I can't even go to the cafe
cos that's not even open yet.
(SNIFFS)
Yeah, I'll probably have to go
to Len's old patch.
Or there's a sheltered bit
under the bypass to Gloucester.
But I don't really know
how, like, territories work
on the streets,
like whether you have to ask permission
or it's just a free-for-all.
Yeah, I don't wanna step
on anyone's toes, like.
Is that Dad and Sandra?
(GASPS)
Oh, my God.
Come on.
LEN: Kurtan! I need some help!
What is it?
Well, how do you do
an online money transfer?
Well, who are you transferring
the money to?
To Cynthia.
What for? She's not rinsing you,
is she, Len?
No, she's got her own money.
She's got $12 million
and she's heiress to a diamond fortune.
Right, well, what does
she need your money for, then?
Well, she can't fly over
till she gets a passport,
and they won't give her access
to her money
until she gets $3,000,
so I'm giving her $3,000.
Is that all right, Officer?
(SCOFFS) Well
Well, it's just that doesn't make
much sense, Len.
Look, it's all in there.
Look, here's the details,
just put the money in there.
This is a bank account in Nigeria.
Yeah, well, she's borrowing
her brother's account
because she hasn't got
one of her own at the moment.
What's all the fuss for, fussy?
It's just
No, I'm not fussing, I just
Well, I can't actually do it today cos
you can't send money online
on a Tuesday, but
Oh.
I can do it tomorrow, if that's better?
Yeah, yeah. But first thing, yeah?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, there you are.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
- Oh, hi, Vicar.
- Oh, hi, Kurtan.
- How are you doing?
- Er, good.
Er, quickly, have you actually seen
any pictures of Len's girlfriend?
Er, no, I haven't.
Er, well,
this is her profile picture, look.
Ah.
And I googled the image,
and that is not a woman called Cynthia.
That is a woman called Joan,
from Humberside,
who was a fitness model in the '80s
but is now currently dead.
Oh, dear.
And whoever is posing as her
is wanting Len to send them money, so
we need to stop him.
What a rotten thing to do to someone.
Yeah.
(SCOFFS)
Why can't it just be like the old days?
Boy meets girl in cafe, boy asks girl out,
boy courts girl
with permission from parents,
boy asks for girl's hand in marriage,
the end.
(SCOFFS) Well
- Cos that's proper sexist, Vicar.
- What?
Well, you're saying if you're a girl
and you wanna find love,
- you've gotta hang around cafes all day.
- No, no, no.
Like cattle in a cattle market,
just waiting for blokes to come around
and pick 'em off.
That's that's proper prehistoric, Vicar.
(REV FRANCIS STUTTERS)
Well, I can see
how it might be misconstrued,
but I certainly didn't mean it that way.
Well, just don't don't apologise to me,
apologise to all the women out there.
What?
Sorry.
Well, my mum might be happy now
with Dad,
but she's living in a dreamland.
Mum?
I couldn't have a quick word, could I?
Because it's exactly like
when I was best mates
with Dan Shelton in year 9,
and Kurtan was like,
"You know he's not mates with you
because of your personality,
"he's only mates with you
cos you've got Tekken 3
"on the PlayStation One."
And, at first,
that was really hard to hear,
but, you know,
it was sort of liberating in a way
because it meant
that I could be Yoshimitsu,
because he always used to have
to be Yoshimitsu and I'd be Heihachi.
And Heihachi is not my fighting style,
Yoshimitsu is.
No, I know.
He is.
Yeah, I just
Do you want a cup of tea?
Wagon Wheel?
Yeah, I'll get you a Wagon Wheel.
- You wanted to see me, Vicar?
- Yes, have a seat.
Um, right, well, er
Well, firstly
(EXHALES) I just wanted to say
what fantastic progress you've made
and, um, er,
I think it's really important
that you keep on
with this positive new attitude,
um, no matter what happens.
Yeah, well, er,
anything's possible now I got Cynthia,
and that's all down to you, Vicar.
Um, yes.
Um, so, well, the thing is, er,
I'm afraid I have to tell you
something about Cynthia.
Yeah? What?
(SIGHS) And it's
Well, it's not good news, unfortunately.
What is it?
Well, um
Right.
What you need to know is that, um
I'm afraid Cynthia is
Dead.
What?
The police
rang the vicar this morning
to tell him to tell you
that she'd died
unfortunately.
How did she die?
Um
Oh, well, I actually
I don't know, er, Vicar took the call.
How did she die, Vicar?
Well, she hit her head quite badly,
unfortunately.
How?
She f
She fell down the stairs.
(STIFLES SOBS)
But, Len, Len
just before she left this world
she said that
despite never having met you
she was so proud
of everything you'd achieved
and that you'll never be alone
because she'll always,
always be with you.
Thank you for telling me, Vicar.
KURTAN: Well, sometimes
honesty is not always the best policy.
Basically, I realised that the only way
to keep Cynthia alive was to kill her.
Well, er
But I do wish we'd been
a little more on the same page
at the start of the chat with Len, though.
No, I No, I take that in,
yeah, definitely.
You know, if we had a bit more time,
we could've been more creative.
Yeah, let her go out with a bang,
why not?
I mean, who falls down stairs these days?
It's not Homer Simpson.
REV FRANCIS: Watch out for the stingers.
- Wow.
- Have a look at that.
- Look at that, Ker.
- Not bad, eh?
KURTAN: Do you know what?
I don't think we've ever been up here.
And I thought maybe this would be
an appropriate place
to release Cynthia's lantern.
Yeah, it's perfect.
- Lower it down, Vicar.
- Lower it?
- Lower it.
- Lower it.
Trust me, I have experience
in lighting the shit up stuff.
- Here we go!
- All right? Here we go.
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah, here we go!
- Let it go!
Go.
Yeah, yeah!
- Yes!
- Go on!
- There she goes!
- Go on!
ALL: Oooh!
Oh, isn't that lovely?
There she goes, Len.
Yeah, you know,
those are the biggest killer of barn owls.
- What are?
- Them lanterns.
Oh. Oh, no, really?
Yeah. It gets entangled in the debris.
- Yeah.
- Oh, no.
And cows die from 'em as well,
cos they eat the metal parts.
REV FRANCIS: Well, I really wish you'd
told me that before we'd lit it.
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