Big Sky (1997–1999): Season 1, Episode 36 - The Choice - full transcript
(Tense music)
(Plane passing)
- Big sky, this is Charlie tango delta.
Big sky, this is Charlie tango delta.
- Big sky, go ahead Scotty.
- I'm out west of acre
creek, there's been a prang.
It looks like somebody's injured.
I better put down and
see what I can do.
Doesn't seem to be anybody else around.
- Sure, just let me know if you need me
to call you an ambulance or anything.
- Yeah, will do, Charlie tango.
(Plane landing)
Mate, are you all right? - Thank god.
I've gotta get wonagai homestead.
- You have to get to a hospital.
- No, look there's no
time okay, I'm a cop.
My name's Joe Carlson, I'm a cop
and my partner's in trouble, come on.
You know where wonegai is?
- Yeah mate.
(Quietly groaning)
(Spiritual music)
(Plane passing)
- [Joe] Thought he was dead already.
- Mate, can you get these off?
- I must have lost the key
in the rollover mate.
Listen, we've got to
get to wonegai, okay?
- Well, we can't just leave him here.
- We'll come back, he
can't go anywhere.
Listen, my partner will be dead
if we stay here any
longer, we gotta go.
- Just help me get him
in the plane, will you?
- Yeah, that's what he deserves.
- Still haven't called her?
Why not?
- I haven't worked up enough guts to.
- Shay, this is your real mother.
You know, after all that
work you went through
to track her down, don't you
think you should follow it up?
- I know, I know that, it's just,
you know I've got this great family.
And besides, what if
she doesn't like me?
What if she doesn't want
anything to do with me?
- Okay so you don't call.
What's gonna happen?
It's gonna eat away at you
for the rest of your life.
- Yeah I know.
- So call her.
- All right.
- Hello, I have an appointment
with Lauren Allen, I'm...
- [Girls] Simone macintosh.
- The TV star.
- She's doing research
for a movie role, I
arranged it months ago.
But I forgot all about it.
Anyway it'll mean one less plane
while someone takes care of it.
- You tell me now?
- It's better late than never.
- Well I better reschedule.
- Don't reschedule anything for Lexi.
She's doing redmond.
- Well I've got gotta go into bulow.
- Well that's not on
the schedule either.
- Well, Alby Robert's
running on a penny.
His gearbox in his ute's blown up.
I promised to send him another one.
Lexi's the only one that can do it.
- Stock agency at redmond
called and ask if we could
squeeze in their feed, they'll
be a good regular customer.
- I see, so your favor
is better than mine.
You know I was hoping that we'd be able
to work together without getting petty.
- Who's being petty, I run the company,
I make the decisions.
- That redmond mob
are time wasters, I
dumped them years ago.
- Oh, so you make a habit of it.
(Ominous music)
- [Scotty] So he's a drug dealer?
- William "the Billy" madigan,
yeah he's into drugs,
girls, he's a standover
man, you name it.
Took me 12 months under
cover to set him up.
- So what happened, did you jump you?
Is that how you lost
control of the car?
- No, he wanted to do a deal you know,
trade some information,
for a lesser charge.
So when he told me about
another undercover cop
getting burned today, well
I thought it was crap
to mention wonegai, and I
knew it was fair dinkum.
I was just going too hard at it,
and that's when I lost it.
- You're lucky he had
his handcuffs on eh?
Would have got your gun.
- I'm under cover, I
don't carry a weapon.
What's our eta?
- 20 minutes.
- Good.
Should be able to get her out of there
before the rest of them front.
- Big sky base, this is...
- What are you doing?
- I've got to let them know
I'm diverting to wonegai.
I'd thought you'd want
some backup anyway.
- I haven't got time to brief
local cops properly, okay.
Losers blunder in and she's a goner.
- [Shay] Big sky, was that you Scotty?
- Yeah Shay it's me.
- Is anyone hurt?
Do you need an ambulance or anything?
- No, no, everything's fine,
I just wanted to let you know that.
- Oh hey guess what,
Simone macintosh is here.
- Simone macintosh.
- So have you had much
flying experience?
- Well, I think I might have
been an eagle in a former life.
- Eagle.
- Other than that,
all I know about flying
is "take the exit row",
which is a problem,
because the only way
I can do justice to a role
is to really live it,
in every way.
- So, what's the film about?
- Oh, it's called sky heart,
it's set in world war two.
So I play this nurse
who is her own woman.
- Right.
- A feisty, no-nonsense feminist
with the sultry insouciance of
Kathleen Turner in body heat.
So when my pilot boyfriend
crush lands in Borneo
and is taken prisoner
in a Japanese pow camp,
I take matters into my own
hands, stealing a spitfire,
and flying to my lover's rescue.
- Wow, sounds great, sort of a reverse,
English patient meets top
gun kind of, sounds, yeah.
- Yeah.
- So, you play a pilot?
- No, no.
- No.
- That is the great part.
She's never flown before,
but during their incredibly
intense lovemaking sessions,
Ken, her pilot boyfriend, describes
everything about flying.
It's like a metaphor,
their love saves them.
- Wow, so, who's playing the boyfriend?
- But Lauren said I
had to go to redmond.
- Stuff Lauren, who's the chief
pilot around here, Lexi?
- I know, but.
Okay, okay, I'll go to bulow instead.
- Listen, big sky is not
here for Chris manning's
personal pleasure, even
if that is his attitude.
- He's chief pilot.
- Who owns this company?
- Lauren if I don't go
to bulow, he'll kill me.
- Look, leave him to
me, and go to redmond.
- Okay.
(Innocent music)
(Dialing)
(Phone ringing)
- Carol chrishchik.
- Hi.
You don't really know me,
my name is Shay mcwilliam.
- Yes.
- I don't really know how to say this,
because I really should
have written first,
but about 22 years ago...
- Who is this?
- I think...
I think...
I think I'm your daughter.
Hello?
Hello, hello?
- I always wondered
if I'd get this call.
- And sure like okay,
maybe I should go home and get changed?
I can't, I told her this is
what I'm gonna be wearing.
- Look, now come on,
come on, you look fine.
- Well what about my
hair, it's all like...
- Shay, anyone would be proud
to have you as a daughter.
- But Lauren, what if she's not.
What if I'm like a big
disappointment to her?
- How could you be?
You're a wonderful person, you're kind.
What's to disappoint?
- What if I don't like her?
Oh, oh, I feel sick.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
This is a huge beginning...
- Beginnings can be good.
Scary, but good. - Scary?
Look at me, I'm petrified.
- Now remember, your
mother will be too.
- All right, yeah.
- So come on.
- She will be, hopefully.
- Good luck.
- Okay.
- You'll be fine.
- Okay.
All right.
- No, she must have dumped him.
- "Stuff Lauren".
- Sounds like wounded pride to me.
- Well I don't get it,
I thought they really liked each other.
- Maybe he wouldn't commit.
Who knows, point is, you're
stuck in the middle.
- Tell me about it,
which ever way I jump,
I get my head bitten off.
- Okay then, this is it.
- Oh, there's gotta be a
better way than that.
- Whoever misses out, I'll back you up.
Heads you go to bulow,
tails you go to redmond.
- Chris'll blow a fuse.
- I'm the chief pilot,
you have no right
to decide which jobs get priority.
- I do when they're
just favors for mates.
They're not gonna make us any money.
- I don't wanna hear it
anymore, I'm sick of arguing.
- Good, so am I.
- Passengers are waiting on board.
Is this a lover's tiff, or the
end of the line for you two,
just so I don't say the wrong thing?
- End of the line.
- Thought you might
have had something.
- Oh don't you start.
- [Beard] No one remembers
the flying mare here.
- [Red shirt] But you picked it.
- [Beard] You got the
atomic drop, what was left?
- [Red shirt] The sleeper,
people always like the sleeper.
- Leopard man had the sleeper.
All that was left was the
flying mare or the Irish whip.
I mean everybody uses the Irish
whip, it's like a body slam.
You know, what sort
of trademark is that?
- So what are you trying to say here?
You want my atomic drop?
You always get the
first fall, don't you?
- You get the all important third fall.
You know I'd swap any day,
the first for the third.
And you've got the atomic drop.
And you want me to have
to take the losing falls
and only have the flying mare?
You know, what the hell sort of
wrestler would that make me?
- A marshmallow man.
- Don't ever use that name.
(Ominous music)
- Okay.
Okay, the house is just
beyond that treeline.
I shouldn't be long.
You be ready to split okay,
these guys don't fuck around.
No radio contact, and don't
let him out of your sight.
- Good luck.
- Ask him about the
tights, go on ask him.
- He reckons I was wrong,
putting us in tights.
He says bad guys wear tights,
good guys are skin and boots.
- Am I right or am I right?
- Well, I haven't seen
any good guys in tights.
But you know, that doesn't mean that...
- See, you should have listened
to me in the first place.
- Listen to you, you wanted
to call us twin peaks.
Twin peaks, huh. - Yeah, well I like
the brews brothers, that's
catchy, who came up with that?
- I did, that's mine. (Chuckling)
- You never come up with anything.
The PR chick came up with it.
- Only because I gave
her all the parameters.
The next belt, I get to carry
the belt into the ring.
- You had the belt last time,
he had the belt last time.
- You know that was
local network stuff.
Three men and a dog saw that.
This is prime time, national.
- Faster.
Slower.
Feel that?
- I think so.
Faster.
Slower.
How's that? - It's great.
I mean, you learn quickly.
- Must be my teacher.
- Well.
- So, why did you decide
to become a pilot?
- A lot of reasons.
I've always loved flying.
I guess it was the first thing I found
that I was truly great at.
- The danger?
- Oh yeah, mainly that.
(Sighs) There's nothing
like the adrenaline rush
of trying to keep control of a plane
in a force 10 Gale,
with only one engine.
- Oh, you must be so brave.
- Well you get used to it.
- I had no idea men like
you really existed.
- [Lexi] You can't do redmond,
what about your other jobs?
- I can do redmond between
gingerbine and acacia brook,
but you'll have to do Lawrence for me.
- Lawrence and bulow, there's
no way I'm gonna have time.
- Well it's either
that or get yelled at.
- Okay, are you sure?
- Look, why should you coppa,
just because Chris and Lauren bust up?
Thanks, see you, good luck Lex.
(Ominous music)
- [Cuffed man] (Sighs) What's going on?
Who the hell are you?
- Car overturned, I found you.
I'm your pilot. - What?
Where's Carlson?
- He'll be back soon.
- (Panting) How long till he's back?
- Can't really be sure.
- What am I doing in these?
- [Scotty] I think you know that, mate.
- Mate?
What I know is that
depriving a police officer
of his liberty is going to land you
in some very serious trouble.
- What police officer?
- Me.
I've been working under
cover for nearly a year,
trying to get Carlson.
Where are we?
Oh don't tell me, wonegai right?
(Sighs)
(Brush rustling)
- And, this is you're altimeter.
- For height.
- Yeah.
And this is your...
- Temperature gauge?
(Sassy music)
(Kissing breathlessly)
- Oh, and I thought flying
was the greatest sensation.
- Say that again.
- And I thought flying was
the greatest sensation?
- That's exactly what he says
after the first time they make love.
Ken.
- [Captive man] Look, I
was taking him to prison,
not the other way around, all right?
- Yeah right.
- He was wearing these,
and I was driving.
He threw himself at me, we rolled,
and he must have got the key
off me when I was out to it.
- Nice try, mate.
- Listen, mate.
This is his territory, okay.
If he comes back and we're still here,
it's bang-bang and bye-bye.
Well did you ask to see any ID?
- No, of course not.
- Then what makes you
so sure he's a cop? - Well how can I be
so sure you're a cop?
Have you got any ID on you?
- [Captive man] I've already
told you, I'm undercover.
- That's what he said.
- Was he armed?
- No.
- Did he want
to leave me back at that wreck?
Yeah of course he did.
Has he got you to radio for backup?
- That would be putting his
partner's life at risk.
- (Laughs) That's what he said, right?
Listen mate, let me tell you
what he's really gonna do, okay?
He's gonna go and get a
gun, then get his mates,
and he's gonna come back
here any minute now
and get rid of me, all right?
You don't get me outta
here pal, then I'm dead.
So are you.
(Intense music)
(Gun clicking)
(Pleasant music)
- Are you ready to order?
- Yeah I'll have a coffee, thanks.
Oh, flat white.
♪ Never had that much to say to you ♪
♪ you never listen ♪
- Mate, I take off, and you're lying,
I'm stuck with an escaped criminal,
and I've left a cop and his
partner in big trouble.
- Mate, if you don't take off,
you and I are in more than big
trouble mate, we're dead.
How many times do I have to tell ya?
I can't do anything to you
in these, can I mate?
If you don't believe me,
then radio the boss
and he'll vouch for me, all right?
- But Joe said I
couldn't use the radio.
He said it was too risky.
- Those guys know I'm
here already, mate.
They can listen to me trying
to save myself all they like.
- Well how come you didn't
want to use the radio before?
- (Laughs) As if you'd let me.
You still think I'm the bad guy.
- [Bill] Hey mate,
this is bill, come in.
- This is Magnus.
- Yeah Magnus.
G'day, it's bill.
Look I'm in real trouble
here mate, over.
- Where are you?
- Yeah, I'm stuck in wonegai.
Carlson did a runner on
me mate, told this pilot
that picked us up that he's
the undercover cop not me.
Can you believe it, eh?
- What?
- Yeah. (Mumbles)
Look, you gotta tell the pilot my rank,
or your rank or anything,
so I can get out of here
before Carlson comes back
with his mates, you got that?
Right, go on if you're
gonna ask away, mate.
- Yeah, Magnus listen...
- Listen, son,
I'm inspector detective Magnus,
and that's detective sergeant
bill madigan with you.
He's an undercover officer,
and his registration
number is gn406d, ask him.
- What's your registration number?
- Gn406d.
- Okay I believe you.
- Right.
Get him over to merriton,
before you're responsible
for a police officer's death,
not to mention your own.
You got that?
- Need anymore proof?
- No, no.
- Let's go.
(Plane rotors starting)
- He's not, it is nothing
like that rebirth thing.
That was a once off, and
I think you are totally
out of line even mentioning that.
Okay, okay I accept your
apology, see you then, Howie.
(Phone beeps)
Howie is so excited, we finally
found the real candidate.
He'll be here tonight.
- What, he wants to come here?
- So he can see you in
your natural domain
as the fearless winged
champion of the skies.
We should go through the script
so you can audition properly.
- Do you think I should
like, get an agent?
- Yeah, yeah.
- What about my nose?
Do you think it makes me...
- It's beautiful.
- [Paula] Echo whiskey Victor,
this is tango whiskey Sierra.
- Echo whiskey Victor,
flying high and smiling.
Everything's going like a
dream, what about you?
- I've done redmond, bad news is,
I was in such a rush I forgot
to drain my fuel tank,
and I'm stuck with an
engine down at gingerbine.
- Well I could come by and
pick you up I suppose.
- [Paula] Yeah, no
problem, see you soon.
Echo whiskey Victor.
- [Lexi] Tango whiskey Sierra.
- Garbage, you don't even
take as many falls as I do.
- Because you didn't go to
the choreography class-
- [lauren] Tango kilo
foxtrot, this is blue sky.
- November kilo.
Right, that's it, you are
right about the tights.
You, knock off the marshmallow man bit.
And it is all right to
make a surprise move
on the second rebound instead
of the third rebound,
and shut up and let me fly the plane.
November kilo foxtrot, go ahead.
- I just thought you'd like to know
that the stock agency at redmond,
they're so grateful that
we did them a favor...
- We tour, on the second
tour, with Bobby...
- Lauren, if you've called in to gloat.
- I'm not gloating,
I'm proving a point.
- Yeah, that you can pull a power trip
and make Lexi listen to you before me.
- I run a company,
sometimes I have to make
unpopular decisions.
- Yeah, especially after
I've just made one, right?
November kilo.
(Melancholy music)
- [Carol] Shay?
- [Shay] I thought you'd
changed your mind.
- [Carol] Of course not, of course not.
But I didn't have enough
money for a taxi,
and the bus took so long, and...
(Sobbing)
- Ready, we're gonna do it, I told you.
- I never wanna go through this again.
- Don't tell me, tell
Chris and Lauren to stop
taking their problems out on us.
- You tell 'em, I've been
yelled at enough today
thank you very much.
- So that's the cops down there?
- Sure is.
- [Scotty] So then you
were taking Carlson
to merriton all along.
- [Bill] Yeah.
- Why?
Thought he said he was
taking you to altam.
- Well haven't you figured it
out yet, he was lying to you.
- All right, well what are
they doing at the air strip
if you guys were driving?
- Well, when I told him
I was stuck with a pilot,
I guess they kind of
figured it out for
themselves didn't they?
(Plane passing)
- [Shay] And where did they come from?
I can't help but noticing...
- My accent.
Poland, my parents moved
out here when I was 13.
- I'm Polish. (Laughs)
I'm not Australian, wow.
I mean, well I am, but I've
got something else in me.
- Every time I thought of
you, I worried so much.
I'm so glad it worked out for you.
- You thought about me?
- Of course.
All the time.
Every day.
- So why did you...
- I was 16,
living in a country town.
I felt so different, out
of place after Poland.
It was hard to make friends.
But there was this young man
who fixed my father's car.
He was always so friendly
and interested in me.
Never made fun of my accent.
He didn't want to know when
I told him I was pregnant.
And my parents were so
old fashioned, catholic.
There was only one option.
Well, I could have run away I suppose.
I was too scared.
I wish I hadn't been.
- It's okay.
- I never wanted to give you away.
They hardly let me look at
you before you were gone.
My tiny little Anya.
With big eyes and little
tuft of hair just here.
(Laughs sadly)
- Anya.
- Anya, do you like it?
- It's beautiful.
- It's all I've had in my mind of you.
My little Anya being carried
out of my hospital room.
And now I've found her, and
she's a beautiful woman.
(Plane powering down)
- Thanks Scotty, couldn't have
done it without you mate.
- No worries mate, I'm
glad to be of service.
Sorry I couldn't have
got you here sooner.
- Well, I had a little exit long plan,
and then Carlson came along
and pissed on the party cake.
But thanks to you I'm okay.
- Long plan?
(Hits plane violently)
(Tense music)
- [Bill] Lucky you catch on fast, mate.
- [Suit] My pleasure,
detective sergeant manigan.
(Chuckling)
- Sam.
Sam.
- It's a done deal, I swear
they should be here by now.
Let me just go check.
- You okay?
- What are you doing here?
- Your cover's been blown, okay.
I've got a plane waiting,
but we've gotta go now.
(Fast music)
(Melancholy music)
- It all comes down to one
man, one plane, one bullet,
and two hearts, that's all that stands
between dignified freedom,
and a terrible subservience.
- Terrifying, not terrible,
but it was wonderful.
- It's a lot easier than
learning the plan manual,
I'll tell you.
Okay, eight o'clock sharp,
I'll bring the champers,
you bring the producers. - Okay.
(Kissing)
Be careful.
- Nothing ever goes wrong
here, it's a milk run.
(Victorious music)
- [Lexi] Paula, we are
not gonna make it.
- What, I calculated,
we should have plenty.
- It's these headwinds,
I thought you checked.
- I did, they said moderate.
- [Lexi] Oh my god,
this is gonna be close.
(Breathes deep)
(Plane passing)
(Melancholy music)
(Intense music)
(Bike revving)
(Gun fires)
(Emergency buzzer sounding)
(Plane passing)
(Tires screeching)
- Oh, that's the end of the fuel.
- We still have to get to
the end of the runway.
(Propeller sputtering)
- Oh god.
- Great.
We'll have to get towed back.
(Plane taking off)
- We've only been going
out a few months.
I met him at the student's union.
They were doing a lansdowne concert.
(Giggling)
- Excuse me, we're closing up.
- [Shay] All right, thanks.
- Would you like to
come over for dinner?
It won't be much. - Yeah.
I'd love to, and maybe I
can bring some photos
of when I was a kid and...
- I'd love that.
- Okay.
I don't even know what to call you.
- What's wrong with Carol?
- I don't know, you
know you're my mother.
- You want to call me mom?
- No. (Laughs)
- What about (Foreign language)?
It's Polish for mother.
(Foreign language)
(Shay giggles)
Shay, just call me Carol.
Thank you for finding me.
- Thank you for wanting to be found.
(Uplifting music)
- [Lauren] You've both been
totally irresponsible.
- Flying with less than
minimum fuel is unforgivable.
And while the aoc is sniffing
around, you're both grounded.
I don't know what the hell
you think you were pulling.
- Well do you really wanna know?
It was to keep you two happy.
I mean you wanted here to go to bulow,
and you wanted her to go to redmond.
And neither of you would give an inch,
and we get caught in the middle.
I just reckon it's you
two who had better
get your act together, or
you won't have any pilots.
(Phone ringing)
- I hope you're satisfied.
- Me, it would have been
fine if you'd listened to me
about those time wasters at redmond.
- This is a business, not
a mates taxi service.
- Oh get off.
You're just trying to get back at me.
- Oh please, as if I
would be so juvenile.
- There's clearly still a problem here,
if pilots are putting themselves
at risk to keep us happy.
- Okay, we need to sort
out the chain of command,
because obviously, sharing
authority isn't working.
- Sharing an office isn't helping.
Maybe I should move out,
then nobody will step
on anyone else's toes.
- Good idea.
- We'll do it tonight.
- There's no need to hurry.
- Oh no, no I'd rather
get it out the way.
(Intense music)
(Bike revving)
(Plane passing)
(Gun fires)
(Splashing)
(Panting)
- [Sam] Where's the plane?
- [Joe] I told him to wait.
- [Sam] Oh no.
(Plane passing)
(Bike revving)
- Come on!
Come on!
(Bike revving)
- I told you to wait.
- I'm so sorry.
The other guy told me
that he was the cop.
I spoke to his boss.
- Yeah well where is he?
- He knocked me out at
merriton, I don't know.
- Oh great, 12 months'
work down the toilet.
- Don't mind my husband, he's
usually a bit more grateful
when somebody saves his life.
- Oh you guys, you guys are married.
- Yeah.
That's why I was so on edge.
- Look, I am so sorry.
Scotty. - Sam.
- Yeah sorry, Scotty,
but you should have listened you know?
Ah.
- [Jimbo] Big strong man,
one plane, one, fuck.
One plane, one man, one
bullet, and one...
(Knocking)
All it takes is one man,
one plane, one heart.
- I'm sure it does.
You are jimbo? - Yeah.
- This is for you.
(Sniffs)
- [Simone voiceover] My
darling, darling pilot.
You don't know how painful
it has been for me
to pen these words, my
heart cries for your touch
but I know it cannot be,
my producers have changed
the storyline, Ken is now a
frogman who was captured
by a Japanese midget submarine.
I'm so sorry, but I
cannot share my love
with a d'artagnon of the skies
when my heart must now flow fully
with the exotic currents of the deep.
I pray you will understand.
Romeo hotel Sierra, out.
(Wistful music)
- I was born to play a frogman.
- Aren't we all.
That will be $22, including the toll.
(Items shuffling)
(Light clicks)
(Door closes)
(Spiritual music)
(Magical whooshing)
(Plane passing)
- Big sky, this is Charlie tango delta.
Big sky, this is Charlie tango delta.
- Big sky, go ahead Scotty.
- I'm out west of acre
creek, there's been a prang.
It looks like somebody's injured.
I better put down and
see what I can do.
Doesn't seem to be anybody else around.
- Sure, just let me know if you need me
to call you an ambulance or anything.
- Yeah, will do, Charlie tango.
(Plane landing)
Mate, are you all right? - Thank god.
I've gotta get wonagai homestead.
- You have to get to a hospital.
- No, look there's no
time okay, I'm a cop.
My name's Joe Carlson, I'm a cop
and my partner's in trouble, come on.
You know where wonegai is?
- Yeah mate.
(Quietly groaning)
(Spiritual music)
(Plane passing)
- [Joe] Thought he was dead already.
- Mate, can you get these off?
- I must have lost the key
in the rollover mate.
Listen, we've got to
get to wonegai, okay?
- Well, we can't just leave him here.
- We'll come back, he
can't go anywhere.
Listen, my partner will be dead
if we stay here any
longer, we gotta go.
- Just help me get him
in the plane, will you?
- Yeah, that's what he deserves.
- Still haven't called her?
Why not?
- I haven't worked up enough guts to.
- Shay, this is your real mother.
You know, after all that
work you went through
to track her down, don't you
think you should follow it up?
- I know, I know that, it's just,
you know I've got this great family.
And besides, what if
she doesn't like me?
What if she doesn't want
anything to do with me?
- Okay so you don't call.
What's gonna happen?
It's gonna eat away at you
for the rest of your life.
- Yeah I know.
- So call her.
- All right.
- Hello, I have an appointment
with Lauren Allen, I'm...
- [Girls] Simone macintosh.
- The TV star.
- She's doing research
for a movie role, I
arranged it months ago.
But I forgot all about it.
Anyway it'll mean one less plane
while someone takes care of it.
- You tell me now?
- It's better late than never.
- Well I better reschedule.
- Don't reschedule anything for Lexi.
She's doing redmond.
- Well I've got gotta go into bulow.
- Well that's not on
the schedule either.
- Well, Alby Robert's
running on a penny.
His gearbox in his ute's blown up.
I promised to send him another one.
Lexi's the only one that can do it.
- Stock agency at redmond
called and ask if we could
squeeze in their feed, they'll
be a good regular customer.
- I see, so your favor
is better than mine.
You know I was hoping that we'd be able
to work together without getting petty.
- Who's being petty, I run the company,
I make the decisions.
- That redmond mob
are time wasters, I
dumped them years ago.
- Oh, so you make a habit of it.
(Ominous music)
- [Scotty] So he's a drug dealer?
- William "the Billy" madigan,
yeah he's into drugs,
girls, he's a standover
man, you name it.
Took me 12 months under
cover to set him up.
- So what happened, did you jump you?
Is that how you lost
control of the car?
- No, he wanted to do a deal you know,
trade some information,
for a lesser charge.
So when he told me about
another undercover cop
getting burned today, well
I thought it was crap
to mention wonegai, and I
knew it was fair dinkum.
I was just going too hard at it,
and that's when I lost it.
- You're lucky he had
his handcuffs on eh?
Would have got your gun.
- I'm under cover, I
don't carry a weapon.
What's our eta?
- 20 minutes.
- Good.
Should be able to get her out of there
before the rest of them front.
- Big sky base, this is...
- What are you doing?
- I've got to let them know
I'm diverting to wonegai.
I'd thought you'd want
some backup anyway.
- I haven't got time to brief
local cops properly, okay.
Losers blunder in and she's a goner.
- [Shay] Big sky, was that you Scotty?
- Yeah Shay it's me.
- Is anyone hurt?
Do you need an ambulance or anything?
- No, no, everything's fine,
I just wanted to let you know that.
- Oh hey guess what,
Simone macintosh is here.
- Simone macintosh.
- So have you had much
flying experience?
- Well, I think I might have
been an eagle in a former life.
- Eagle.
- Other than that,
all I know about flying
is "take the exit row",
which is a problem,
because the only way
I can do justice to a role
is to really live it,
in every way.
- So, what's the film about?
- Oh, it's called sky heart,
it's set in world war two.
So I play this nurse
who is her own woman.
- Right.
- A feisty, no-nonsense feminist
with the sultry insouciance of
Kathleen Turner in body heat.
So when my pilot boyfriend
crush lands in Borneo
and is taken prisoner
in a Japanese pow camp,
I take matters into my own
hands, stealing a spitfire,
and flying to my lover's rescue.
- Wow, sounds great, sort of a reverse,
English patient meets top
gun kind of, sounds, yeah.
- Yeah.
- So, you play a pilot?
- No, no.
- No.
- That is the great part.
She's never flown before,
but during their incredibly
intense lovemaking sessions,
Ken, her pilot boyfriend, describes
everything about flying.
It's like a metaphor,
their love saves them.
- Wow, so, who's playing the boyfriend?
- But Lauren said I
had to go to redmond.
- Stuff Lauren, who's the chief
pilot around here, Lexi?
- I know, but.
Okay, okay, I'll go to bulow instead.
- Listen, big sky is not
here for Chris manning's
personal pleasure, even
if that is his attitude.
- He's chief pilot.
- Who owns this company?
- Lauren if I don't go
to bulow, he'll kill me.
- Look, leave him to
me, and go to redmond.
- Okay.
(Innocent music)
(Dialing)
(Phone ringing)
- Carol chrishchik.
- Hi.
You don't really know me,
my name is Shay mcwilliam.
- Yes.
- I don't really know how to say this,
because I really should
have written first,
but about 22 years ago...
- Who is this?
- I think...
I think...
I think I'm your daughter.
Hello?
Hello, hello?
- I always wondered
if I'd get this call.
- And sure like okay,
maybe I should go home and get changed?
I can't, I told her this is
what I'm gonna be wearing.
- Look, now come on,
come on, you look fine.
- Well what about my
hair, it's all like...
- Shay, anyone would be proud
to have you as a daughter.
- But Lauren, what if she's not.
What if I'm like a big
disappointment to her?
- How could you be?
You're a wonderful person, you're kind.
What's to disappoint?
- What if I don't like her?
Oh, oh, I feel sick.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
This is a huge beginning...
- Beginnings can be good.
Scary, but good. - Scary?
Look at me, I'm petrified.
- Now remember, your
mother will be too.
- All right, yeah.
- So come on.
- She will be, hopefully.
- Good luck.
- Okay.
- You'll be fine.
- Okay.
All right.
- No, she must have dumped him.
- "Stuff Lauren".
- Sounds like wounded pride to me.
- Well I don't get it,
I thought they really liked each other.
- Maybe he wouldn't commit.
Who knows, point is, you're
stuck in the middle.
- Tell me about it,
which ever way I jump,
I get my head bitten off.
- Okay then, this is it.
- Oh, there's gotta be a
better way than that.
- Whoever misses out, I'll back you up.
Heads you go to bulow,
tails you go to redmond.
- Chris'll blow a fuse.
- I'm the chief pilot,
you have no right
to decide which jobs get priority.
- I do when they're
just favors for mates.
They're not gonna make us any money.
- I don't wanna hear it
anymore, I'm sick of arguing.
- Good, so am I.
- Passengers are waiting on board.
Is this a lover's tiff, or the
end of the line for you two,
just so I don't say the wrong thing?
- End of the line.
- Thought you might
have had something.
- Oh don't you start.
- [Beard] No one remembers
the flying mare here.
- [Red shirt] But you picked it.
- [Beard] You got the
atomic drop, what was left?
- [Red shirt] The sleeper,
people always like the sleeper.
- Leopard man had the sleeper.
All that was left was the
flying mare or the Irish whip.
I mean everybody uses the Irish
whip, it's like a body slam.
You know, what sort
of trademark is that?
- So what are you trying to say here?
You want my atomic drop?
You always get the
first fall, don't you?
- You get the all important third fall.
You know I'd swap any day,
the first for the third.
And you've got the atomic drop.
And you want me to have
to take the losing falls
and only have the flying mare?
You know, what the hell sort of
wrestler would that make me?
- A marshmallow man.
- Don't ever use that name.
(Ominous music)
- Okay.
Okay, the house is just
beyond that treeline.
I shouldn't be long.
You be ready to split okay,
these guys don't fuck around.
No radio contact, and don't
let him out of your sight.
- Good luck.
- Ask him about the
tights, go on ask him.
- He reckons I was wrong,
putting us in tights.
He says bad guys wear tights,
good guys are skin and boots.
- Am I right or am I right?
- Well, I haven't seen
any good guys in tights.
But you know, that doesn't mean that...
- See, you should have listened
to me in the first place.
- Listen to you, you wanted
to call us twin peaks.
Twin peaks, huh. - Yeah, well I like
the brews brothers, that's
catchy, who came up with that?
- I did, that's mine. (Chuckling)
- You never come up with anything.
The PR chick came up with it.
- Only because I gave
her all the parameters.
The next belt, I get to carry
the belt into the ring.
- You had the belt last time,
he had the belt last time.
- You know that was
local network stuff.
Three men and a dog saw that.
This is prime time, national.
- Faster.
Slower.
Feel that?
- I think so.
Faster.
Slower.
How's that? - It's great.
I mean, you learn quickly.
- Must be my teacher.
- Well.
- So, why did you decide
to become a pilot?
- A lot of reasons.
I've always loved flying.
I guess it was the first thing I found
that I was truly great at.
- The danger?
- Oh yeah, mainly that.
(Sighs) There's nothing
like the adrenaline rush
of trying to keep control of a plane
in a force 10 Gale,
with only one engine.
- Oh, you must be so brave.
- Well you get used to it.
- I had no idea men like
you really existed.
- [Lexi] You can't do redmond,
what about your other jobs?
- I can do redmond between
gingerbine and acacia brook,
but you'll have to do Lawrence for me.
- Lawrence and bulow, there's
no way I'm gonna have time.
- Well it's either
that or get yelled at.
- Okay, are you sure?
- Look, why should you coppa,
just because Chris and Lauren bust up?
Thanks, see you, good luck Lex.
(Ominous music)
- [Cuffed man] (Sighs) What's going on?
Who the hell are you?
- Car overturned, I found you.
I'm your pilot. - What?
Where's Carlson?
- He'll be back soon.
- (Panting) How long till he's back?
- Can't really be sure.
- What am I doing in these?
- [Scotty] I think you know that, mate.
- Mate?
What I know is that
depriving a police officer
of his liberty is going to land you
in some very serious trouble.
- What police officer?
- Me.
I've been working under
cover for nearly a year,
trying to get Carlson.
Where are we?
Oh don't tell me, wonegai right?
(Sighs)
(Brush rustling)
- And, this is you're altimeter.
- For height.
- Yeah.
And this is your...
- Temperature gauge?
(Sassy music)
(Kissing breathlessly)
- Oh, and I thought flying
was the greatest sensation.
- Say that again.
- And I thought flying was
the greatest sensation?
- That's exactly what he says
after the first time they make love.
Ken.
- [Captive man] Look, I
was taking him to prison,
not the other way around, all right?
- Yeah right.
- He was wearing these,
and I was driving.
He threw himself at me, we rolled,
and he must have got the key
off me when I was out to it.
- Nice try, mate.
- Listen, mate.
This is his territory, okay.
If he comes back and we're still here,
it's bang-bang and bye-bye.
Well did you ask to see any ID?
- No, of course not.
- Then what makes you
so sure he's a cop? - Well how can I be
so sure you're a cop?
Have you got any ID on you?
- [Captive man] I've already
told you, I'm undercover.
- That's what he said.
- Was he armed?
- No.
- Did he want
to leave me back at that wreck?
Yeah of course he did.
Has he got you to radio for backup?
- That would be putting his
partner's life at risk.
- (Laughs) That's what he said, right?
Listen mate, let me tell you
what he's really gonna do, okay?
He's gonna go and get a
gun, then get his mates,
and he's gonna come back
here any minute now
and get rid of me, all right?
You don't get me outta
here pal, then I'm dead.
So are you.
(Intense music)
(Gun clicking)
(Pleasant music)
- Are you ready to order?
- Yeah I'll have a coffee, thanks.
Oh, flat white.
♪ Never had that much to say to you ♪
♪ you never listen ♪
- Mate, I take off, and you're lying,
I'm stuck with an escaped criminal,
and I've left a cop and his
partner in big trouble.
- Mate, if you don't take off,
you and I are in more than big
trouble mate, we're dead.
How many times do I have to tell ya?
I can't do anything to you
in these, can I mate?
If you don't believe me,
then radio the boss
and he'll vouch for me, all right?
- But Joe said I
couldn't use the radio.
He said it was too risky.
- Those guys know I'm
here already, mate.
They can listen to me trying
to save myself all they like.
- Well how come you didn't
want to use the radio before?
- (Laughs) As if you'd let me.
You still think I'm the bad guy.
- [Bill] Hey mate,
this is bill, come in.
- This is Magnus.
- Yeah Magnus.
G'day, it's bill.
Look I'm in real trouble
here mate, over.
- Where are you?
- Yeah, I'm stuck in wonegai.
Carlson did a runner on
me mate, told this pilot
that picked us up that he's
the undercover cop not me.
Can you believe it, eh?
- What?
- Yeah. (Mumbles)
Look, you gotta tell the pilot my rank,
or your rank or anything,
so I can get out of here
before Carlson comes back
with his mates, you got that?
Right, go on if you're
gonna ask away, mate.
- Yeah, Magnus listen...
- Listen, son,
I'm inspector detective Magnus,
and that's detective sergeant
bill madigan with you.
He's an undercover officer,
and his registration
number is gn406d, ask him.
- What's your registration number?
- Gn406d.
- Okay I believe you.
- Right.
Get him over to merriton,
before you're responsible
for a police officer's death,
not to mention your own.
You got that?
- Need anymore proof?
- No, no.
- Let's go.
(Plane rotors starting)
- He's not, it is nothing
like that rebirth thing.
That was a once off, and
I think you are totally
out of line even mentioning that.
Okay, okay I accept your
apology, see you then, Howie.
(Phone beeps)
Howie is so excited, we finally
found the real candidate.
He'll be here tonight.
- What, he wants to come here?
- So he can see you in
your natural domain
as the fearless winged
champion of the skies.
We should go through the script
so you can audition properly.
- Do you think I should
like, get an agent?
- Yeah, yeah.
- What about my nose?
Do you think it makes me...
- It's beautiful.
- [Paula] Echo whiskey Victor,
this is tango whiskey Sierra.
- Echo whiskey Victor,
flying high and smiling.
Everything's going like a
dream, what about you?
- I've done redmond, bad news is,
I was in such a rush I forgot
to drain my fuel tank,
and I'm stuck with an
engine down at gingerbine.
- Well I could come by and
pick you up I suppose.
- [Paula] Yeah, no
problem, see you soon.
Echo whiskey Victor.
- [Lexi] Tango whiskey Sierra.
- Garbage, you don't even
take as many falls as I do.
- Because you didn't go to
the choreography class-
- [lauren] Tango kilo
foxtrot, this is blue sky.
- November kilo.
Right, that's it, you are
right about the tights.
You, knock off the marshmallow man bit.
And it is all right to
make a surprise move
on the second rebound instead
of the third rebound,
and shut up and let me fly the plane.
November kilo foxtrot, go ahead.
- I just thought you'd like to know
that the stock agency at redmond,
they're so grateful that
we did them a favor...
- We tour, on the second
tour, with Bobby...
- Lauren, if you've called in to gloat.
- I'm not gloating,
I'm proving a point.
- Yeah, that you can pull a power trip
and make Lexi listen to you before me.
- I run a company,
sometimes I have to make
unpopular decisions.
- Yeah, especially after
I've just made one, right?
November kilo.
(Melancholy music)
- [Carol] Shay?
- [Shay] I thought you'd
changed your mind.
- [Carol] Of course not, of course not.
But I didn't have enough
money for a taxi,
and the bus took so long, and...
(Sobbing)
- Ready, we're gonna do it, I told you.
- I never wanna go through this again.
- Don't tell me, tell
Chris and Lauren to stop
taking their problems out on us.
- You tell 'em, I've been
yelled at enough today
thank you very much.
- So that's the cops down there?
- Sure is.
- [Scotty] So then you
were taking Carlson
to merriton all along.
- [Bill] Yeah.
- Why?
Thought he said he was
taking you to altam.
- Well haven't you figured it
out yet, he was lying to you.
- All right, well what are
they doing at the air strip
if you guys were driving?
- Well, when I told him
I was stuck with a pilot,
I guess they kind of
figured it out for
themselves didn't they?
(Plane passing)
- [Shay] And where did they come from?
I can't help but noticing...
- My accent.
Poland, my parents moved
out here when I was 13.
- I'm Polish. (Laughs)
I'm not Australian, wow.
I mean, well I am, but I've
got something else in me.
- Every time I thought of
you, I worried so much.
I'm so glad it worked out for you.
- You thought about me?
- Of course.
All the time.
Every day.
- So why did you...
- I was 16,
living in a country town.
I felt so different, out
of place after Poland.
It was hard to make friends.
But there was this young man
who fixed my father's car.
He was always so friendly
and interested in me.
Never made fun of my accent.
He didn't want to know when
I told him I was pregnant.
And my parents were so
old fashioned, catholic.
There was only one option.
Well, I could have run away I suppose.
I was too scared.
I wish I hadn't been.
- It's okay.
- I never wanted to give you away.
They hardly let me look at
you before you were gone.
My tiny little Anya.
With big eyes and little
tuft of hair just here.
(Laughs sadly)
- Anya.
- Anya, do you like it?
- It's beautiful.
- It's all I've had in my mind of you.
My little Anya being carried
out of my hospital room.
And now I've found her, and
she's a beautiful woman.
(Plane powering down)
- Thanks Scotty, couldn't have
done it without you mate.
- No worries mate, I'm
glad to be of service.
Sorry I couldn't have
got you here sooner.
- Well, I had a little exit long plan,
and then Carlson came along
and pissed on the party cake.
But thanks to you I'm okay.
- Long plan?
(Hits plane violently)
(Tense music)
- [Bill] Lucky you catch on fast, mate.
- [Suit] My pleasure,
detective sergeant manigan.
(Chuckling)
- Sam.
Sam.
- It's a done deal, I swear
they should be here by now.
Let me just go check.
- You okay?
- What are you doing here?
- Your cover's been blown, okay.
I've got a plane waiting,
but we've gotta go now.
(Fast music)
(Melancholy music)
- It all comes down to one
man, one plane, one bullet,
and two hearts, that's all that stands
between dignified freedom,
and a terrible subservience.
- Terrifying, not terrible,
but it was wonderful.
- It's a lot easier than
learning the plan manual,
I'll tell you.
Okay, eight o'clock sharp,
I'll bring the champers,
you bring the producers. - Okay.
(Kissing)
Be careful.
- Nothing ever goes wrong
here, it's a milk run.
(Victorious music)
- [Lexi] Paula, we are
not gonna make it.
- What, I calculated,
we should have plenty.
- It's these headwinds,
I thought you checked.
- I did, they said moderate.
- [Lexi] Oh my god,
this is gonna be close.
(Breathes deep)
(Plane passing)
(Melancholy music)
(Intense music)
(Bike revving)
(Gun fires)
(Emergency buzzer sounding)
(Plane passing)
(Tires screeching)
- Oh, that's the end of the fuel.
- We still have to get to
the end of the runway.
(Propeller sputtering)
- Oh god.
- Great.
We'll have to get towed back.
(Plane taking off)
- We've only been going
out a few months.
I met him at the student's union.
They were doing a lansdowne concert.
(Giggling)
- Excuse me, we're closing up.
- [Shay] All right, thanks.
- Would you like to
come over for dinner?
It won't be much. - Yeah.
I'd love to, and maybe I
can bring some photos
of when I was a kid and...
- I'd love that.
- Okay.
I don't even know what to call you.
- What's wrong with Carol?
- I don't know, you
know you're my mother.
- You want to call me mom?
- No. (Laughs)
- What about (Foreign language)?
It's Polish for mother.
(Foreign language)
(Shay giggles)
Shay, just call me Carol.
Thank you for finding me.
- Thank you for wanting to be found.
(Uplifting music)
- [Lauren] You've both been
totally irresponsible.
- Flying with less than
minimum fuel is unforgivable.
And while the aoc is sniffing
around, you're both grounded.
I don't know what the hell
you think you were pulling.
- Well do you really wanna know?
It was to keep you two happy.
I mean you wanted here to go to bulow,
and you wanted her to go to redmond.
And neither of you would give an inch,
and we get caught in the middle.
I just reckon it's you
two who had better
get your act together, or
you won't have any pilots.
(Phone ringing)
- I hope you're satisfied.
- Me, it would have been
fine if you'd listened to me
about those time wasters at redmond.
- This is a business, not
a mates taxi service.
- Oh get off.
You're just trying to get back at me.
- Oh please, as if I
would be so juvenile.
- There's clearly still a problem here,
if pilots are putting themselves
at risk to keep us happy.
- Okay, we need to sort
out the chain of command,
because obviously, sharing
authority isn't working.
- Sharing an office isn't helping.
Maybe I should move out,
then nobody will step
on anyone else's toes.
- Good idea.
- We'll do it tonight.
- There's no need to hurry.
- Oh no, no I'd rather
get it out the way.
(Intense music)
(Bike revving)
(Plane passing)
(Gun fires)
(Splashing)
(Panting)
- [Sam] Where's the plane?
- [Joe] I told him to wait.
- [Sam] Oh no.
(Plane passing)
(Bike revving)
- Come on!
Come on!
(Bike revving)
- I told you to wait.
- I'm so sorry.
The other guy told me
that he was the cop.
I spoke to his boss.
- Yeah well where is he?
- He knocked me out at
merriton, I don't know.
- Oh great, 12 months'
work down the toilet.
- Don't mind my husband, he's
usually a bit more grateful
when somebody saves his life.
- Oh you guys, you guys are married.
- Yeah.
That's why I was so on edge.
- Look, I am so sorry.
Scotty. - Sam.
- Yeah sorry, Scotty,
but you should have listened you know?
Ah.
- [Jimbo] Big strong man,
one plane, one, fuck.
One plane, one man, one
bullet, and one...
(Knocking)
All it takes is one man,
one plane, one heart.
- I'm sure it does.
You are jimbo? - Yeah.
- This is for you.
(Sniffs)
- [Simone voiceover] My
darling, darling pilot.
You don't know how painful
it has been for me
to pen these words, my
heart cries for your touch
but I know it cannot be,
my producers have changed
the storyline, Ken is now a
frogman who was captured
by a Japanese midget submarine.
I'm so sorry, but I
cannot share my love
with a d'artagnon of the skies
when my heart must now flow fully
with the exotic currents of the deep.
I pray you will understand.
Romeo hotel Sierra, out.
(Wistful music)
- I was born to play a frogman.
- Aren't we all.
That will be $22, including the toll.
(Items shuffling)
(Light clicks)
(Door closes)
(Spiritual music)
(Magical whooshing)