A Discovery of Witches (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript

FEMALE STUDENT: Matthieu!

CUP CLINKS ON TABLE ABRUPTLY

Over there.
- SHE LAUGHS

MUSIC: "White Rabbit"
by Haley Reinhart

♪ One pill makes you larger ♪

♪ And one pill makes you small ♪

♪ And the ones that mother give to you ♪

♪ Don't do anything at all ♪

♪ Go ask Alice... ♪

GIRL LAUGHS

♪...when she's ten feet tall ♪



♪ And if you go chasing rabbits ♪

♪ And you know you're going to fall ♪

♪ Just tell 'em
a hookah smoking caterpillar ♪

♪ Has given you the call ♪

♪ Call Alice ♪

♪ When she was just... ♪

I used to know a Matthew.

It's Matthieu.

♪ When the men on the chessboard ♪

♪ Get up and tell you where to go ♪

♪ And you've just had some kind of mushroom ♪

♪ And your mind is moving low ♪

♪ Go ask Alice ♪

♪ I think she'll know. ♪
- CRUNCHING SOUND



MATHIEU GROANS IN PAIN

SHE LAUGHS WITH JOY

RESONANT TONE RINGS OUT

HE BREATHES ERRATICALLY

What the...?

SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

MAN IN DISTANCE:
You have blood on your face.

TENSE MUSIC

SUDDEN MUSIC SWELLS

RIPPING NOISE

SHE WHISPERS: Matthew.

MATTHEW: Once the world was full of wonders

but it belongs to humans now.

We creatures have all but disappeared -

demons, vampires and witches...

hiding in plain sight

ill at ease, even with each other.

But, as my father used to say

in every ending...

there is a new beginning.

MATTHEW: New trousers, Hamish?
- Morning.

You really didn't need to be here,
you know.

"Hello, Hamish. Nice to see you."
Good to see you, too, Matthew.

I can quite well go hunting on my own.

It's good to have a break from London.

I've been meaning to get out
on the moors, anyway.

John's preparing the car.

FAINT OPERA MUSIC PLAYS

A DRINK IS BEING POURED

MATTHEW: I see you've redecorated.

I thought the place
needed brightening up.

Looks like a wedding cake.

You didn't come all the way up here
to diss my interiors, Matt.

What's going on?
- It's complex.

Isn't it always with you?

This is even more...
- What? Fucked up?

Look at the two of us.

A vampire friends with a demon.

I came up here
to get away from... a witch.

When you say "get away"...

do you mean...?
- I'm craving her.

DISTORTED WHOOSHING NOISES

LIGHT SCRABBLING SOUND

TENSE MUSIC SWELLS

SHE EXHALES HEAVILY

SCRABBLING SOUND ECHOES AROUND

SHE INHALES DEEPLY

SHE EXHALES IN RELIEF

BOAT ENGINE TUGS
- SEAGULLS CRY

Who are you?
You can't come in here without...

My boss will call you
in three seconds to give it.

I'm looking for the body
of the tourist found last night.

A PHONE RINGS

Yes?

Yes.

Of course, sir.

The body?

He has no blood in him.

And there was no blood at the scene.
It's... strange.

Is there any background on him?

He was French.

Name?

Matthieu Beny.

Matthew.

EERIE MUSIC

Stop.

ENGINE TURNS OFF

Where?
- About 35 metres below the ridgeline.

Good hunting.

WIND RUSTLES THE GRASS

HEARTBEAT PUMPS RAPIDLY

SUDDEN DISTORTED SCREECH

HOOVES THUD

DRAMATIC MUSIC

MAN: There you go, madam.

Hey.

Busy today.
- Don't know why.

Students aren't back yet.

HER FOOTSTEPS ECHO AROUND

SOMEONE CLEARS THEIR THROAT
- WHISPERING

SHE EXHALES SLOWLY

TENSE MUSIC

Dr Bishop.

Can I help you?

My name's Peter Knox.

I presume there aren't usually this many
"other creatures" in the library.

Well... no.

So I suppose word has spread about
the Ashmole manuscript you took out.

Sorry, I'm waiting on a book.

You're quite right to keep it quiet

but I assure you I am a friend.

BIRDS TWEET RAPIDLY

Shall we discuss this over coffee?

I don't think so.

Or are you a tea drinker
like your mother was?

TENSE MUSIC SWELLS

BELL TOLLS IN THE DISTANCE

Did you know my father, too?

Only slightly.

Your mother and I met
when we were teenagers.

I was very fond of her.

What was she like?

Passionate, clever

stubborn as a mule
when she wanted to be.

SHE GIGGLES: Really?

It's truly terrible what happened.

I've thought about you
a good deal over the years and...

I've wanted to introduce myself,
but your aunt's very protective.

Yeah.

Could we get tea for two, please?
- Yes, sir.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Feeling better?

Yes.

Thank you.

I think you're wise
to keep your distance from the witch.

Yes.

But the problem is, she's in possession
of something that I need.

Or rather...

she's capable of retrieving it.

So, er, did you just call it up?
- Yeah.

How?

Er, the... the normal way.

That's odd because I requested
Ashmole 782 this morning

and it isn't there.

Not there?
- Missing.

According to the Bodleian catalogue
it's been missing for years.

SHE SCOFFS

But how could it be?

That doesn't make any sense.
I took it out.

You did return it, I take it?

Of course!

I would never steal a book
from the Bod.

No.

It could be the date.

Yeah. Maybe the book only shows itself
around the time of the equinox.

Or it could be
that there's a spell on it

and that somehow, for some reason,
you broke it.

I'm not my mother, Mr Knox,
I didn't inherit her powers.

What happened when you opened it?

I only looked at one page.
- What was on it?

A picture.
- Of what?

The alchemical child.

There must have been more.
You must have seen more.

Why is it so important to you?

Because if this book
is what I think it is

it contains the witches' first spells.

It could tell us
how we created vampires.

That's just a myth.

Vampires have used
their brute power and longevity

to gain far too much control,
but if we created them...

then we could un-create them.

I won't have any part of that.

You have to try and take it out again.

You're the only person
who's seen it in years.

Let go of my arm.

I'm quite sure
I'll see you again, Diana.

KNOX: Not as amenable as I'd hoped.

We might need to use firmer tactics.

Juliette, good evening.

If you're here to see my father,
he's not to be disturbed.

I think he's gonna want to hear
what I have to say.

DOORS CREAK OPEN

This better be important.

It is.

It's a police matter.

GERBERT: Leave us.

SINISTER, BROODING MUSIC

To be honest, I still don't get
what you're so anxious about.

How could taking out a book
for a senior witch do any harm?

Come on, you were in the library.
You felt it.

This... this book is powerful
and I... I don't...

I don't trust
what Peter Knox might do with it.

He... He hates other species.

He'll use it against them.

It's no concern of ours.

I don't even know how he knew
I took it out in the first place.

These things get out.
- I just...

I don't want to have
anything to do with it.

I want to lead a normal life.
I want to be normal.

I've known you for ten years.
You couldn't be normal if you tried.

It's so typical something like this
would happen to you.

DIANA SIGHS

What shall I do, Gillian?

Just get it out for him
and forget all about it.

Carry on with your paper.

Yeah, but that's nearly impossible
with all these...

creatures and the library.

Not the vampire
that was following you before?

No.

He seems to have given up on me.

Oh, that's are relief at least.

I don't know.

There is something about him.

He...

He seemed to know more
about the book than anyone else.

I should have asked him about it.
Instead, I...

I told him to leave me alone.
- You're quite right, too.

Have you ever talked to them?

No.

So you don't know what they're like?
- And you do, after one conversation?

SHE SCOFFS

He didn't seem to be as prejudiced
against us as we are against them.

SHE CRUNCHES LOUDLY

I gotta go.

Been invited to one of the dean's
awful parties.

Thank you.

Sorry to burden you with this.

MATTHEW: So even though Ashmole 782
might be the answer to our problems, Hamish

my interest in it puts her in danger.

It seems we're all in danger, Matt,
if we don't get that book.

You know that daemon suicides
are on the rise?

As are mental health problems,
homelessness...

Yes, I know.

I've been looking into the statistics.

We are struggling.

If this book could explain our origins...
- Yes.

Wouldn't that be something, my friend?

RAIN PATTERS ON THE WINDOW

SQUIRTING SOUND

MARCUS: Where's Matthew?

He's not here.

Oh, just, he said he'd ring me
with the results.

Have they come through yet?

James' have.

His blood tests are normal.

So the problem's with me, then?

It seems so.

MARCUS SIGHS

SHE PANTS HEAVILY

That was quick.

What did you do to your hand?

I think the book did that to you
when you opened it.

Who are you?
You were in the library.

You were the magnet for it.

Magic attracts magic.

But yours is hidden.

SHE MUTTERS AN INCANTATION IN FINNISH

Someone did something to you.

Oh.

You did it to yourself.

Do you fear persecution?

Is that it?

I haven't until now.

You were with Peter Knox.
You tell him I won't get out his book.

This isn't just about the book.

It's about you.

TENSE THUDDING MUSIC

Hey, Em.

Have you heard of Peter Knox?
- Peter Knox is in Oxford?

He said he knew Mum.

Yeah, he was crazy about her.
- I thought so, from what he said.

Tried to persuade her
not to marry your father.

Did she like him?

They were friends in the early days
and then he just got into some stuff.

What?

Dark magic.

Why is Peter Knox in Oxford?

The book I told you about.

He wants it.

Your father distrusted him
and, by the end, your mum did too.

Be careful of him, Diana.

GERBERT: Juliette.

A word.

Where were you two nights ago?

JULIETTE: Seeing the city at night.

You said I was allowed.

I said...

as long as you were good.

I have been.
- If there's something I don't know

Baldwin can use it against me.

Baldwin's not even in Venice.
- He sees and hears anyway!

This dead tourist...

is a brazen vampire killing.

And Domenico...

the nosey little fucker...

smelt you on him.

SHE SOBS: That's not true.

Domenico hates me.

SHE BREATHES ERRATICALLY

CRUNCHING NOISE
- SHE GROANS IN PAIN

SHE SCREAMS

THE NAME "MATTHEW" ECHOES AROUND

PASSIONATE BREATHING

SHE SCREAMS IN PAIN

JULIETTE: Matthew...

HE BREATHES DEEP AND SLOW

DOOR CLANGS OPEN

SHE CRIES OUT

You taught me to crave Matthew!

No!

Father! Father!

HAMISH: This book you say Diana called up.

MATTHEW: Mmm?
- I've heard stories about it.

The witches stole it
from the vampires.

The vampires stole it
from the witches.

That's untrue.

Demons, of course,
don't get a look in.

We know it's important to us
but we don't know why

and we're not even allowed to ask.

The general feeling being we matter
so much less than the other creatures.

Can we not have a political argument?

It's easy for you to say.

You're not treated like
a third-class citizen.

It's hardly like you are!

You practically run
the City of London.

That's not the point. I'm an anomaly.

Checkmate.

There is more to the game
than protecting your queen.

HAMISH: Wait! Think before your next move.

No, other creatures
will want the book.

I have to obtain it from Diana
before they do.

I know you need the book,
but couldn't Marcus do it?

Marcus? Not letting Marcus
anywhere near Diana.

He's much less of a danger
to Diana than you are!

Think what's happened in the past
to women you've craved.

Elena, Cecilia...

I wish I'd never told you.

But you did because you wanted me
to be your conscience.

After Cecilia

I swore to myself that
I would never get involved

with another warmblood again
and you know that!

But, Matt, you've never
talked about another woman

the way you do about Diana Bishop.

I'm just trying to protect you.

I'll try to take your advice.
- Don't try.

Do.

If you hurt her, you'll never forgive
yourself and I couldn't bear it.

Don't go back to Oxford

until you're sure you can control
yourself around Diana Bishop.

BELL CHIMES

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Dr Bishop.

Good evening, Professor Marsh.
- Welcome.

Thank you.

I understand you gave
an excellent talk

and that you are writing it up.

Yes, yes, I am indeed.

And I look forward to reading it.

We want to get you on that shortlist.

Well, thank you.

Now, there's someone
I would really like you to meet.

He has a very interesting
specialisation

the occult... sciences.

Alchemy. It's quite a subject.

Especially for someone who says
she lacks interest in magic.

I don't just lack interest.

I lack aptitude.
- Are you sure?

The book came out for you
and no one else.

I told you,
I don't know how that happened.

But you didn't tell me
a vampire's been following you.

How do you know that?

It would be catastrophic
if it falls into their hands.

Can't you see the danger you're in?

I can take care of myself.

Laudable, but naive.

The fact that vampires
are now involved

makes this so much more urgent.

I'm not going to call it up for you.
- Why not?

Because I don't happen to like
the idea of un-creating other species.

They would do exactly the same to us,
if they could.

I'm like my mother, Mr Knox.

If I've made up my mind

I don't change it.

VIA TELEPATHY: Diana.

Think about what you're doing.

You must be true to your blood

your heritage.

Don't make me force you
to recall that book.

Diana.

Don't walk away!

You can't escape me that easily.

I can be with you wherever you are.

I need the book.

We need the book.

DIANA: Get out of my head!

SMASHING NOISE

SHE EXHALES HEAVILY

EERIE MUSIC

KNOCK AT THE DOOR

How's it going with Diana?

Did she get the manuscript
out for you?

No.

Last night, she performed
an elemental spell.

What?

Diana did?

Did you know she was powerful?

No, I... I...

I can't believe...

She's never shown if she is.

Maybe she's used her magic
to forward her career.

And that's why
she's kept it secret from you.

SUDDEN KNOCK AT THE DOOR

Oh, thank God you're here.
You haven't been answering your phone.

KNOX'S VOICE: If this book
is what I think it is, vampires...

then we could un-create them.

DIANA: I don't even know how he knew
I took it out in the first place.

These things get out.

SATU: This isn't just about the book.

It's about you.

FIZZING
- SHE CRIES IN PAIN

This is about a great deal more
than just alchemy.

Ashmole 782 has been missing
for centuries

and yet you were able to call it up.
Aren't you curious why?

You need to be careful.

CLOCK BELL TOLLS

Professor Clairmont's rooms, please.

SHE KNOCKS TENTATIVELY

You were right... about creatures
coming to look for the book.

Peter Knox from the Congregation

and there was this Scandinavian witch.

I don't know...
I don't know who she was.

HEARTBEAT PUMPS RAPIDLY

Try to calm down.
Your adrenaline is very high.

You can smell my adrenaline?
- Course I can.

Thank you.

Why did you come to me?

Last time I saw you, you said
you never wanted to see me again.

I have no one else to talk to.
- You must have friends.

None I can trust.

It was a mistake to come here.

I'm sorry I disturbed you.
- Does Knox want the book?

He says it has the witches'
first spells in it.

Is that what you think it is?

Peter Knox believes that witches
created everything and everyone.

I'm obviously not of that opinion.

Does he know that you sent it back?
- Yes.

He wants me to try
and get it out again.

Will you?
- I don't want him to have it.

"Dear sir...

Your letter of 15th October
has reached me at last."

You knew Charles Darwin?
- Yes.

I met him on a number of occasions

particularly when he was building up
to his publication of Origin.

I began to wonder how his theories
might relate to us creatures.

I was desperate
to understand our origins.

You see, I'd already heard rumours,
whisperings

about a book...

hidden from human eyes,
an alchemical text.

Ashmole 782.
- Ashmole.

That man had an uncanny ability
to find bizarre manuscripts.

And I found and read
every one of them.

Apart from 782.

You've been searching for the book
since 1859.

Mmm.

How old are you?
- I'm older than I look.

Three hundred years?

Mmm.

Five hundred years?

Did you know Machiavelli?
- HE LAUGHS

Survive the fall of Carthage?
- Which fall of Carthage?

I'd like to show you my laboratory.

The work we've been doing recently
links in to creature origin.

I won't harm you.

You have my word.

Alright.

Put this on.

You're cold.
- How do you know that?

Adrenalin causes a rise
in metabolic heat production.

Your adrenalin has dropped
and so has your heart rate.

You can hear my heart?

Yes.

All the time.

We're among hundreds of laboratories
using genetics

to study species origin,
but in our lab

humans aren't the only species
we're studying.

You're studying vampire genetics?
- Mmm.

Witches and demons, too.

We take physical specimens
from burial sites, mostly, and...

extract DNA from the samples.

Hey, Matthew!

He's been helping me
while you've been away.

Diana, this is my colleague
and lab manager

Dr Miriam Shepherd.

Miriam, this is Dr Diana Bishop.

It's a pleasure to meet you.
- And I'm Dr Marcus Whitmore.

Different type of doctor.

HE SNIFFS DEEPLY

Wow!

AB negative.

Don't suppose I could take
some of you blood, could I?

It's tough getting a sample
from a living witch.

No... thank you.

If your friend isn't here
to give blood, what is she here for exactly?

I wanted to show Diana
that the work we're doing here proves

beyond all doubt...

that creatures are dying out.

Vampires are failing to sire.

Demons are increasingly
prone to madness.

And witches?

Are losing their powers.

Come and see.

Please, sit down.

Allow me.
- Thank you.

Now, this graph shows
the mitochondrial DNA

of a witch named Benvenguda.

She lived in Brittany
in the 7th century

and she was very, very powerful.

A marvel, really...

in an age that produced...
many marvels.

Now, compare that to the graph
belonging to Beatrice Good -

Benvenguda's last known
direct descendant.

Now, as you can see, Beatrice's DNA
shows far fewer markers

common amongst witches,
indicating that...

her ancestors,
as the centuries passed

relied less and less upon
witchcraft to survive. Now...

is this pattern of...

denying power

is the reason why witches
will eventually become...

extinct?

Who do you think she might talk to?
- Well, I don't know.

Apart from me, Diana doesn't
have any friends in Oxford.

Oh, forgive me.

I don't believe you've been introduced.
This is Miss Järvinen.

She's our new representative
on the Congregation.

Oh. Wow!

Congratulations.

Well?

I tried to look inside her.

She interests me.

DIANA: You think 782's going to help you
with your research, don't you?

MATTHEW: It could explain our origins, yes.

DIANA: But we aren't going to go
extinct tomorrow.

There are still plenty of creatures
in the world.

I have a different
sense of time to you.

When humans talk about climate change
that's exactly the argument they use.

"Oh, the polar ice caps will take
so many years to melt. Who cares?"

I remember when the Thames
iced over every winter.

I used to skate on it.

You're right, though.

It's not going to happen immediately,
tomorrow, but it's already begun.

One day, there'll be just one species.

Humans.

And at first, they won't notice
the difference

because they've never noticed us,
but, gradually...

eventually, they'll come to see that...

all the magic
has seeped out of the world.

And they'll look around them...

and everyone will be the same.

DIANA: You think whatever power I have
I should use?

MATTHEW: I think, at the very least,
you should try not to be frightened of it.

Although, as far as I can tell

there are only two emotions
that keep the world turning.

One is... desire.

And the other is fear.

Magic is desire made real.

That's what my aunt says.
- Mmm.

Right.

The book's a palimpsest.

Old words hidden under new.

It was heavy.

It smelt. It smelt odd.

Three pages were cut out.

The only page I saw showed a baby

floating in an upside-down vessel.

It was probably the alchemical child

although I've never seen it
represented like that before.

Thank you.

MATTHEW: I thought you knew about vampires.

That's why you invited me to dinner.

I need to get a book, Ashmole 782.

Are you gonna give the book
to the vampire?

Where are we going, anyway?

My house.

Did you cast a spell
to call up Ashmole 782?

SARAH: What are you doing
hanging around with a vampire?

He could feed off you,
take your memories.

Seen everything you saw
when you opened up that book!

Matthew de Claremont's
harassing a witch.

GERBERT: Did your source tell you
who this witch is?

MATTHEW: Her name's Diana Bishop.

You shy away from us
and yet you seek out vampire company.

I'm not a bigot like you.

MIRIAM: You're craving her.

What would I taste like?

MATTHEW: You wouldn't be able
to stop me if I struck

and I wouldn't be able to stop myself.