Damnation (2017–2018): Season 1, Episode 8 - The Goodness of Men - full transcript

Previously on "Damnation"...

Vote for me, Sheriff of Holden County.

We'd like the Black Legion
to stop this farmers' strike.

She saw our faces.

If you wanna see your family again,

from this moment forward

you'll tell me every single move

the Black Legion is gonna make.

Have you ever seen this man?

He was last seen murdering my husband.

You are now to kill your brother.



And maybe you'll have
your freedom at last.

They bring in uniform
shipments from Woodbury County.

That's my father's company.

Her name was Cynthia Jo Rainey,

and she's rotting in the ground

because of that strike breaker.

[BELL RINGING]

In some men, goodness is
visible, like oil on water.

But for others, it's like gold.

It's buried deep in a mine.

[FADING] It only means we need
to look harder

at the heart of that man.

What if your father sees us?

When Reverend Rainey is
giving a sermon,



a tornado could blow the roof off

and my father wouldn't notice.

Besides, he's taken a liking to you.

He has?

Yeah.

I'm not sure what he sees in you.

Mm.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

So when will I meet
the rest of your family?

My older brother Wallace
never came back from the war.

My mother's dead.

So is mine.

And your father?

My father is not like yours.

I don't want to be anything like him.

You should be more like my father.

You'd make a good preacher.

[BOTH LAUGH]

I'm serious.

We don't have to be perfect
to spread the word.

We just have to open our hearts.

Oh, shit.

But I wouldn't start
your sermons that way.

No, no. It's past noon.

I'm late.

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[CLEARS THROAT]

Why'd it take you so long
to buy feed in town?

The shopkeeper was out, so I waited

till the noon train rolled in
with the new shipment.

Here is the work at hand.

Paideuma Oil Company
needs us to clear 500 acres

of good drilling land in the next week.

Farmers, homesteaders, squatters.

All out. No witnesses.

Lew, you'll take a man out to
the Davenport homestead.

Creeley, you'll take men
out to Colton Creek,

and clear the Fredericks,
Daltons, and Raineys.

Ra... Raineys?

But there's a... I think there's
a church there, Pa.

I don't care if we kick Jesus
Christ himself off this land.

We're doing it.

And after we're done,

the oil men are going to
make us shareholders.

What does that mean?

It means we can stop sweatin'
and bleedin' for the rich.

[DARK MUSIC]

We're gonna be businessmen,
like the men who've hired us.

The Turner name is gonna be one
your children and grandchildren

will be proud to own.

You know, if your father's company

is involved in all this,

and his factory is in
the next county over...

Do you know the parable of
the prodigal daughter?

No.

That's because there isn't one.

♪ ♪

[DOOR CREAKS]

♪ ♪

Please. Help me, please.

The Black Legion is after me.

Please, they're going to kill
me... please, please.

♪ ♪

[BREATHING HALTINGLY]

♪ ♪

[CAR ENGINE RUMBLING]

[CAR DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING]

We came to hear the word
on this fine morning.

We're not quite ready
for weekday service yet.

Morning, Preacher Seth.

We are eager to hear your message.

You're speaking my language, Ma'am.

Of course, the House of
the Lord is open to everyone,

but we prefer our congregants
to leave their livestock

and firearms outside.

♪ ♪

Well, hello, Martha.

♪ ♪

- Hello.
- Welcome.

Hi.

You're running hot, dear child.

If you wish to give
this morning's sermon,

we'll be discussing second Corinthians,

chapter four, verse two.

Look, you wouldn't happen
to have seen a black prostitute

around here?

She stole my friend's wallet.

No, I haven't.

Welcome, friends.

Today, I'd like to talk about... men

who seem one way and act another.

Evil men who put on a mask of goodness.

Now, one day, of course,
their masks will slip,

and the truth will come out.

♪ ♪

And a reckoning will come.

♪ ♪

So...

you must be the new banker.

Glad to witness your peerless
powers of deduction first-hand.

[CHUCKLES] Yes, I'm John Dyson.

I hear you had quite
an adventure at the pavilion.

Explain the goons.

First, close the door.

After the bank robbery,
I've hired the Black Legion

to provide extra security.

And to further
our shared client's interests.

And you expect me to work
with those sons of bitches?

They're not exactly
good company, are they?

But... we can hold our noses
and use them to our advantage.

Which brings me to this.

These documents establish
your unconditional release

from both Dr. Eggers Hyde's employment

and your prison sentence.

Kill the preacher and you're a free man.

♪ ♪

Take care.

They're gone?

Yeah.

Thank God.

I've been running from
those bastards all night.

I gotta get back to the brothel.

If they see you, they'll kill you.

- What else am I going to do?
- Turn white?

We can help protect you.

If you tell us what you know.

Why are those bastards after you?

I followed them to their warehouse.

I was looking for Creeley.

I saw their leader without his hood on.

And he is?

Melvin Stubbs.

Candidate for sheriff Melvin Stubbs?

Oh, yeah.

He was meeting with the new banker.

Gave the Black Legion a big ol' gun.

Whole lot of cash.

♪ ♪

Can you help me?

You're not really willing to throw
her to the wolves, are you?

Of course not.

♪ ♪

The bank was just robbed.

Where is this banker's
money coming from?

♪ ♪

We can't really help you

unless we know what we're up against.

The money's from the Duvall family.

The same folks paying off Creeley.

♪ ♪

Let's get this woman to safety.

♪ ♪

[GUN CLICKING]

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Appreciate it, sir. Thank you.

[ENGINE SHUTS OFF]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Do you have a permit for
this Communist farm market?

It is actually an auction, of sorts.

Perhaps you'd like to bid
on some fresh tomatoes?

You keep selling
your own goods like this,

you're gonna put me out of business.

Then I suppose you'll have to
learn how to grow your own.

Watch your lip, Martha.

Election's coming.

If you wanna shut us down,
you better come back

with the sheriff.

Otherwise, you're outnumbered.

Don't worry.

I'll be back.

As sheriff.

There's going to be
big changes around here.

No more freeloading

for you

or any murderer

sittin' in the soon-to-be my jail.

Melvin Stubbs, Tanner Phillips...

The butcher.

Myron Eddins.

These bastards are going
to shit their robes

once it gets out in the Labor Bulletin.

You're behind that Commie rag.

And here I thought
you were just a bitchy

little preacher's wife.

And here I thought
you were just a common whore.

So, what do we do now?

Start a little knitting circle,
catch up on gossip?

Oh, sure, after we fix
each other's hair up

at the family potluck.

[CHUCKLES]

But until then,

try and remember any more names

of those racist bastards, hmm?

"Holden Tribune," please.

DL, it's me. Come over.

[HANGS UP PHONE]

You poor, dear child.

I thought you were
gonna cut down the bad man.

I am.

But I have to be certain I'm
punishing the correct bad man.

And make sure he acted alone.

No accomplices will be getting
away with murdering my Leonard.

Did another bad man help him?

Maybe it was a bad woman.

My Leonard was stopping
two bad men in Arkansas

named Seth and Sal.

I was unaware that
one of them had a wife.

But as the preacher himself said,

soon the truth will be revealed.

Mother...

will you promise you won't leave me?

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

I don't have anyone else.

♪ ♪

Feeling sorry never helped anyone.

Just focus on getting yourself well.

♪ ♪

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

♪ ♪

- This is incredible.
- Where'd you get all this?

Well, some of it came from
first-hand observation.

Some of it came from the big,
bad strikebreaker's whore.

She's our anonymous source.

Emphasis on "anonymous."

There is so much... here.

We should publicize the factories

and chemical testing first.

Turn the public against
the Duvall family.

Then we can tie them
to the Black Legion,

and unmask Melvin Stubbs
right before the election.

That's really smart.

I'll pretend you don't sound surprised.

We should also think about
distributing papers

at Tintern Textiles.

Let the workers know
who they're really working for.

Well, let's focus on printing
a new edition, and, uh,

then we can figure out
how to get the word out.

Wish me luck. [CHUCKLES]

[OPENS AND CLOSES DOOR]

Is that how you're gonna
spread your revolution?

Making every corn-fed paperboy

wanna peek up that prim
and proper skirt of yours.

My friendship with DL is
based on intellectual kinship,

and a shared sense of
political responsibility.

[LAUGHS]

Tell that to the half-stiffy
he ran out of here with.

Maybe he's just excited to
have a little rendezvous

with you at that textile factory.

I don't plan on setting
one foot in that place.

[DOOR CREAKS]

I'm a patient man,
but not that patient.

We made a deal.

[GRUNTS]

- I spared your life before.
- Don't make me take it now.

If they find out
I've been talking to you,

they'll kill me.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

What's the Black Legion up to?

I know Melvin Stubbs is your leader.

♪ ♪

Preacher.

♪ ♪

The bank... the banker
gave Melvin money

if we promised to stop
this farmers strike.

He's gonna take down all these farmers.

Starting with Sam Riley, Jr.

Melvin's gonna hang the kid at dawn.

I'm getting Cynthia out of Wyoming.

And I'm going with her.

You can't go, Seth.

Pa will hunt you both down.

Cynthia sees me.

Who I really am, deep down.

Do you know what that feels like?

I can't even imagine.

Seth.

You're stronger than you think you are.

That voice in you that
Pa tries to beat out of you,

the way you care about other
people, that's not a weakness.

It's a strength.

Don't forget that.

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

♪ If you catch me stealin',
Papa, please don't... ♪

Why does a preacher sneak
in and out the back door

of Myron Eddins' butcher shop?

I can see more than you think
from up here.

Myron Eddins is a member
of the Black Legion.

Just like their leader, Melvin Stubbs.

According to Myron,

the Black Legion is going to
hang Sam Jr. at dawn.

We've got to get him
to a safer location.

Those Black Legion buffoons
hide in their warehouse

trading baseball cards.

They can't just waltz into
my jail and take young Sam.

I'm still sheriff.

Not for long.

The Duvall family is backing
Stubbs and the Black Legion

with money and weapons
to take over this town.

So if they say they're going to
hang Martha Riley's only son

to do it, I'd believe them.

[TENSE MUSIC]

So the sheriff isn't
going to move Sam Jr.?

The Sheriff doesn't realize
what he's up against.

Sam Jr. wouldn't be there
if Creeley hadn't framed him.

Oh, that's cute.

Pretending Creeley even had
a choice in the matter.

Everyone has a choice.

You either do what's right
or you do what's wrong.

Creeley's been choosing wrong
for a long time.

Oh, and how about you?

Struttin' around all high
and mighty after framing

your own brother for murders
he didn't even commit.

I put Creeley in that prison
because he deserved it.

[GUNSHOTS]

Who is that?

♪ ♪

Yeah, you keep your missus inside.

She don't need to see this.

You can't kill me.

You told me you need me to confess.

Not anymore.

See, I'll kill you,
and the doctor will release me.

♪ ♪

Not if I kill you first.

Either way,

I'm a free man.

♪ ♪

[DOOR OPENS]

Creeley!

♪ ♪

I don't like those pompous cocksuckers

any more than you do, okay?

[PANTING]

But they just saved my ass
from the Black Legion.

Still plan on killing me
for your freedom?

Or does saving her change things a bit?

♪ ♪

I'm gonna go stop the Black Legion.

They're after her and after Sam Jr.

If you wanna kill me
once I'm done, go ahead.

I won't squeal.

♪ ♪

[FIRE CRACKLING]

[DOOR OPENS]

Hey, Pa.

Where's Seth?

What do you mean?

I know something's
been off with Seth lately.

Now him and his horse are gone.

[SIGHS]

If your brother's doing
something he shouldn't,

I need to know.

I don't know, Pa.

I don't know.

Maybe he gone out for something.

[SCOFFS]

I know I'm hard on you boys,

but it's all done out of love.

That's why I pulled you
out of that brothel,

so you could grow up with your brothers.

Families are supposed to stay
together, aren't they?

Creeley?

Help me keep my boys together.

He's been seeing
Preacher Rainey's daughter

in Colton Creek.

[TENSE MUSIC]

He's planning on running off with her

before we clear the land.

♪ ♪

You see?

That's why I can't let Seth go.

♪ ♪

You're just too fucking weak

to handle anything on your own.

♪ ♪

I'm gonna get Sam Jr. out of jail.

Did you really frame
your own brother for murder?

What's between me and my brother

is between me and my brother.

And what about
what's between you and me?

[SIGHS]

How long can you keep
running from your past?

Probably for as long as you can.

Or did you change your mind

about visiting your father's factory?

I just did.

DL and I are going to Woodbury
County to see what's going on.

I'll be back in a couple of days.

[MELLOW FOLK MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Family's a curse. Isn't it?

Every time you let somebody in close,

it's a sign of weakness.

Best go it alone.

Not get too attached.

♪ ♪

Why'd you call Eggers Hyde?

Sheriff offered me money
to dig into your business.

It's enough to move out of the brothel.

When I found the phone number,

I thought it'd... be
a decent angle to play.

I should give this back.

[SIGHS]

Why?

That's the arrangement.

That's business.

Isn't it?

You're damn right it is.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

And nothing more.

[LAUGHS]

[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[WOMEN SCREAM]

Come here.

You know that black whore?

Yeah. I can't stand that slut.

Then tell me where she is.

Tell you?

Not if you shat out silver dollars.

[GASPS]

Tell me.

[SHOTGUN COCKS]

Leave now and I'll let
you boys walk out of here

with your little gonads
shriveled up inside you,

instead of rolling around like
bloody marbles on the floor.

Sure thing, lady.

[DARK MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Show me where that black whore
spreads her legs.

[OBJECTS CLATTERING]

Some kind of letters here.

Take this hag downstairs.

♪ ♪

Looks like Wyoming's whore

knows even more than we thought.

We're alone.

Why the hell do you still
have your hood on?

♪ ♪

What happened to you?

I got into a scrap at the speakeasy.

I see.

Keep searching the damn room.

♪ ♪

So what's the plan
for getting these out?

A little journey into the past.

Excuse me.

You run the carding machine, right?

When I had to clean the cylinders

the teeth were hell on my knuckles.

Hell ain't the half of it.

So, does old Theodore Hopkins
still have management

hotwiring the time clocks
to rip you all off?

How do you know about that?

Because sadly enough,
Theodore Hopkins is my father.

My friend and I are putting
out the truth

about what men like my father

and the Duvall family are doing.

If you ladies would like
to read about it,

please take a few copies.

Maybe even pass them around.

Call me any time you want
the truth to get out

about how my family is cheating
you out of your pay,

risking your health,

or management is playing
grab-ass behind closed doors.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

Deputy Berryman.

All right.

Yes, sir, understood.

Was that the sheriff?

What're you doing?

I'm moving you.

[KEYS CLATTER]

To a safer location.

I knew you'd do
the right thing, Deputy.

Relax, Sam.

What's going on here?

I'm tired of
Uncle Sheriff Don's shortcuts

and compromises.

Mr. Stubbs is right.

It's time for old-fashioned law
and order in this county again.

And just agree to everything he
says and they won't hurt you.

Who won't hurt me?

Relax, and you'll be fine.

I'll take it from here, Deputy.

[DARK MUSIC]

Take a walk with me, Sam.

Sam Jr., are you familiar with

a brotherhood of patriots

known as the Black Legion?

♪ ♪

[ICE CRACKLING]

Something wrong, Martha?

Preacher Seth came by for Preston

and they left in a hurry.

And I have a bad feeling

it has something to do with Sam Jr.

These labor struggles have no
regard for motherhood, do they?

Um, I'm sorry?

I lost my first daughter...

[SETS ICE PICK DOWN]

When she was nearly three years old

to a labor strike not unlike this one.

Oh, Connie.

Those strikebreakers are brutal.

It wasn't strikebreakers.

It was strikers.

My darling girl was sick
and needed medicine.

The strikers would not let
anyone through their blockade.

♪ ♪

My husband Leonard rode out
and pleaded with them

to let the medicine through.

♪ ♪

If only those strikers had
found the common decency

to let the medicine through.

♪ ♪

But despite our loss... Leonard and I

understood and supported
the strikers' principles.

Of course, we did.

What are the hopes and
dreams of one small family

in the face of the greater
political struggle?

That poor, dear child
is still running a fever.

[SNIFFLES]

I may lose my composure if
she doesn't get better soon.

Okay, Sam Jr., take cover.

Sam Jr. ain't here.

The station's empty.
What do you think happened?

I think a butcher lied to me.

Come on.

♪ ♪

Who are these men?

Hired thugs and paid killers
for the oil men.

Look, we need to get going.

[HORSE NEIGHS]

Who's that?

I don't know.

Take this and go inside.

[WHISPERS] I'll be back.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

Creeley, what are you doing here?

♪ ♪

Pa knows.

How?

♪ ♪

He tricked me, Sam.

I told him you were leaving.

You told him?

♪ ♪

- [GUNSHOT]
- [WOMAN SCREAMS]

♪ ♪

I guess the sheriff's house
is the last place

anyone will think to look.

So, how'd a girl like you end up

with such a shitty father like this?

According to the orphanage records...

he knocked up a whore and dumped me off.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna keep these
Black Legion bastards

from getting to you.

About killing your brother.

Just like you said,

family is a curse.

We can run.

If Seth and Amelia can go
from town to town

changing identities, why can't we?

Patriots, come out!

Everybody, come on out.

[TENSE MUSIC]

I'll go take a look.

♪ ♪

Stay out of sight.

[UPBEAT FOLK MUSIC]

♪ ♪

What would you say if I told you

that when that cowboy came
to the speakeasy,

he was wonderin'

who'd want revenge for Sam's murder?

♪ ♪

And someone in there buckled

and gave him Sam Jr.'s name.

♪ ♪

I'd say...

whoever it was still has time
to make up for it.

In the name of justice,

come join us now!

Nothing to be afraid of.

Sam Riley Jr.'s gonna make a statement.

Where are you taking me?

♪ When their backs are turned ♪

♪ Follow the railroad, Riley ♪

♪ When their backs are turned ♪

♪ Up where the mountains, Riley ♪

Everyone out! We're not armed.

This is a peaceful assembly.
Come on out!

♪ When their backs are turned ♪

♪ Run, run, run to the railroad ♪

♪ When their backs are turned ♪

♪ Run, run, run with the railroad ♪

Come see if Sam Riley's son
loves his country or not.

Get yourself and my boy out of here.

Okay, now, listen,

you go tell your mother
I'll be right behind you.

Okay.

♪ Whoa whoa ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Not a sound, not a sound ♪

Come on outside and bear witness.

♪ Not a sound ♪

That's right, gather up.

♪ ♪

Listen up! Gather around now!

Unless the farmers renounce
their strike,

we will be forced to take
matters into our own hands.

And since Sam Riley Jr.'s
family started it all,

it's only fair that we allow
him to set a good example.

As the Grand Master of the Black Legion,

I command you to prove your patriotism

and kiss our great national flag.

All we ask is that Sam Jr.
Confess to murdering

Pete Collingsworth.

Renounce the strike

so that Holden can return to
being the town it once was.

Sam Riley Jr.,

will you make this pledge?

[CROWD MURMURING]

I didn't kill anybody!

Get him up.

- [SPITS]
- Have mercy!

- Kiss my ass!
- He's just a boy!

You got some spirit, kid.

String him up.

[CROWD SHOUTING]
- Cowards!

You told me you wouldn't hurt him.

He had a chance.

Which is more than
he gave Pete Collingsworth.

[DARK MUSIC]

[CROWD MURMURING]

♪ ♪

Stop those cocksuckers!

[RIOTOUS YELLING]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[GUNSHOT BOOMS]

Fun and games are over.

Go home, Melvin.

Before this turns into something

that none of us can walk away from.

I resent that implication, Sheriff.

I'm just an innocent bystander
in all of this.

♪ ♪

[CROWD GASPING AND SHRIEKING]

♪ ♪

Tomorrow another farmer
will have a chance

to renounce this strike or
face the same fate as this boy.

Traitors will be weeded out
and brought down.

The spirit and unity
of this great land...

Hey!

- Will once again be revived.
- What the hell are you doing?

♪ ♪

[CROWD MURMURING]

Two agitators for the price of one.

♪ ♪

[GRUNTS]

♪ ♪