I May Destroy You (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - It Just Came Up - full transcript

[SHE PANTS]

[ALARM RINGS]

Morning!

Mm... no.

Yes.

WOMAN'S VOICE: For Yoga Challenge
Day 29, we explore the backbend.

Backbending is a hard-opening,

uplifting spiritual process

that takes you deep into your centre.

- Mm.
- They open the body

to deep breathing, but also place



strong demands upon the most
vulnerable segment of the...

[PODCAST STOPS]

Agh... Agh...

[SHE LAUGHS]

Agh... Agh.

- [PODCAST RESUMES]
- ... spine.

We're going to start with some breaths,

so put your hands together

and bring them to your heart centre.

- Just start to try and clear...
- [PODCAST STOPS]

You're turning into a computer.

- Oh, like AI?
- No, like...

- ... an IBM. Where's your...?
- What?

- Where's the little hub?
- What?



- Agh!
- [THEY LAUGH]

Podcast...

[SHE GIGGLES]

Yoga Challenge, Day 29.

Ah, I can almost do a flat backbend.

Go up and down, ones and zeros,

going wherever they tell you to go.

- Where did you find the show?
- Where?

On my phone.

So, it just appeared on the screen?

- Obviously not! I was...
- Ha!

I don't know. I was looking for
something and it just came up.

Exactly. One, zero.

You look good in my shirt.

Shower... Oof.

- FEMALE VOICE: I'm about to be Ghana's finest...
- Ooh, Ghana!

- Ye... es!
- PODCAST: Ooh!

And we have a special
guest in the building!

Yeah! You all heard her last week,

but she is back again...

Yeah, no, it's true.

There's nothing wrong with
eating chicken with your hands.

- That's a different... That's the thing.
- Women are...

Men are so gross!

Yeah. Then he secretly
took off the condom.

Like, that's so messed up!

There are actual Reddit forums,
where men share tips and tricks.

Ugh! And even phrases like, "He
said to me, 'I thought you knew.

You mean you didn't feel it?'"

I took it off. I thought you...

- These are actually on the forum.
- Wow!

I mean, it must have been sickening

to realise you've been
played like that...

- How did he react? Was he...?
- Yo, shall we get a coffee?

What's the look on their face?

Like, what is going through their head,

- do you think?
- It ranges anywhere from a look of,

I guess, a little bit of shame,

because they don't
expect to be called out.

- And then some of them just laugh.
- Ugh!

They think it's...
They think it's funny.

And I'm like, no, this isn't
funny, and you can...

you can go.

- The usual? Deep treatment and rebraiding?
- Mm...

What do you think?

- What do I think?
- Mm. Ooh!

I know what I think.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

- Julian.
- Hello, hi.

Hello, how are you doing?

- Okay. You?
- Yeah.

Yeah, I'm going good. I'm doing...

Look, good news is,

I feel I will have
something for you soon.

Okay, well, look, don't worry about that

- because Susy Henny, from Henny House...
- Oh.

- ... your publisher, wanted to meet you today.
- Yeah.

- Can you get here for 2:30? Yeah.
- What? 2:30? Sure.

- That's in three hours, yeah?
- See you then.

- Three hours. Yeah?
- Yes.

- [INCOMING CALL]
- Yes, I'll be on time,

- I prom...
- Great.

Hello.

Arabella, we've got some results back

from the Sexual Assault Referral Unit.

Semen has been detected

on the flannel Forensics collected
the night Beth came to your agent's.

- Can you remember?
- Yes.

So, there is DNA.

What we usually do is put
it into our DNA database,

to see if we get any hits on
anyone that's been arrested before.

But as the sample's quite weak,

the only thing we can do
is a direct comparison.

So, if we have a potential suspect,

we can check their
DNA against the sample,

- and that will give us results.
- Mm.

So, we have a potential suspect.

- Hmm.
- There's no CCTV or witnesses,

but he's on remand
for a similar offence.

An arrest has been made.

Hm.

[KWAME SIGHS]

- There's still a lot of work to do.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, er...

We've spoken to Simon.

All fine. He's given us
Derae's contact details,

and they've both been
fully cooperative with us.

Now, what we need to do, quite quickly,

is eliminate the DNA

- of any consensual partners from the sample.
- Mm-hmm.

- I have a Biagio. Still in contact?
- Yes.

Yeah. Erm, we talk every day.

Er, yeah, we're still... Still...

- So, you need his DNA?
- Yes.

There's a forensics team over there
we can get connected with.

So, if you leave us his contact number,

- we can get on with that.
- Yeah.

- He doesn't... know.
- About the assault?

Still?

No, Terry's sparkling.

Is there a reason why
you haven't told him?

He's an Italian drug lord.

Joking.

Joke!

- Huh...
- Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha!

I suggest you let him
know prior to our call,

- quickly.
- I'll do it.

- Yep, I will do it.
- Thank you.

Well, I'll let you digest all that.

Yeah.

Woo!

- You all right?
- Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, no. Er...

Yeah, it's amazing. It's...

I'm just like, wow! Who
are you guys? Are you...

Po-po! Are you the Rapebusters?!

I like Rapebusters!

- You do, too!
- Yeah, well, well done on you

for reporting it so quickly.

Oh, guys, it's my civic duty, yeah?

Felt like something wasn't
right, who am I gonna call?

- Rapebusters!
- Hey!

So many different types of
sexual assault, you know.

I didn't even know you could get
raped in the mouth before this.

You have no idea.

Secret condom removal...

- That's rape.
- Hmm.

- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.

That's very informative.

Yeah, the problem is when
people don't know what is a crime

and what isn't a crime,
they don't report it.

And then people get away with it.

Thank you.

- I love your hair, by the way.
- Yeah.

- Looks cool.
- Thanks.

- Are you okay, Britney?!
- Ha-ha-ha!

Yeah.

- Are you sure?
- Yeah.

How are you feeling? That was a lot.

It was a lot.

Not bad for a Monday morning, me chaps.

Not bad at all, my chap.

No. Well, it's bad for him.
He got arrested.

- Whilst being under arrest.
- Mm.

- While being arrested,
- _

- he got arrested again.
- _

- That's gotta suck.
- But then again,

he likes things sucking!

[THEY LAUGH]

- Byesie! Ooh, I've got to go!
- Okay.

- Ooh.
- Right.

See you later, babe. Peace.

What's up, Kwams? No-one in the area?

Shut up!

[SHE LAUGHS]

- He's excited to see you. He's nervous.
- Aw! He's fantastic,

- he shouldn't be.
- Well, he really cares.

I'm glad he's reading it himself.
They don't all go for that.

Is...? How do you say her name?

- Arabella Essiuedu...
- Arabella.

- Is she able to stop by?
- Yeah, she confirmed, erm,

- but I, uh...
- What happened? Why didn't she finish?

Well, I think there was just
an underestimation in, erm,

quite how much work,
er, needed to be done.

On her part, or... yours?

Huh-huh.

- Thanks for sending over what she's done so far.
- No.

- Ha!
- I found it rather readable,

to an extent.

[DOOR CLOSES]

To the extent.

[HURRIED FOOTSTEPS]

- Oh...
- Hi.

- Your hair!
- Oh, hello.

- Arabella!
- Oh, wow!

- Hi.
- It's me, Susy Henny.

- Hi!
- You're Susy?!

Hi, Susy!

- You're black! Hi.
- It's great to meet you.

I've heard so much about you.

[SUSY LAUGHS] Well,
if you're saying that to my face,

it means you've only heard
the good stuff! Sit by me.

- Okay.
- This is Sion.

Hi.

Hi.

- Ha-ha!
- Whoa!

Love the hair, by the way.

- Oh, yeah, thank you.
- It's great!

Now, hair and style aside,

we were hoping you would
submit something for the summit.

I've been heartbroken. What happened?

Well, yeah, no, because I...

Did... Did you tell?

- Hey.
- Oh... Welcome, Zain! Ha-ha!

Hi. Oh, wow!

Really nice to see you, Susy.

Ah, yeah. Good work, Zain.

It's been a pleasure reading your work.

This is Sion. She works for the
International Literary Summit.

Sion...

- Have we met?
- I used to work at the British Library.

Oh, snap. Huh!

Erm, and, Arabella, wow! Whoa!

- I didn't know you'd be here.
- No, neither did I.

- I was at the police station.
- Oh, why?

Oh, yeah, I was trying to
say earlier. Um, I was raped.

Yeah, I reported it
as soon as I found out

and, luckily, I remember his face.

Even got traces of his DNA in my house,

so the police have come to collect it.

Erm, yeah.

I even know his name, so...

Mm. Zain Tareen...

... thank you so much.
You've been so helpful.

Zain's been helping me
finish my writing, so...

Oh.

Well, Arabella,

you'd better get to work, missy! I
want to see that story, hmm?

Ah!

Yeah.

[THEY LAUGH]

- Yes!
- Now, Arabella, we would love you to read

a segment of your current project
at the writing summit tonight.

Ah...

- What? Really?!
- Yeah.

- Yes! Oh, God!
- No need for nerves at all now,

- you have a little buddy.
- Oh, erm, can...

- ... can a friend read it?
- Good friend?

- Yeah.
- Same education, thick and thin, friends forever?

- Yeah.
- And is she...

... white?

- No, she's...
- Great!

Ha!

That's mad! Ha-ha-ha-ha!

[PHONE VIBRATES]

- Oh! You ain't told him!
- No.

Good. I like it when we have
secrets he doesn't know about,

cos we're running out.

Hold on, wait, they're probably
going to film this, innit?

- Erm, yeah.
- Babe! My birth is your birth...

- BOTH: My death is your death.
- Argh!

This is really happening, you know.
[SHE SQUEALS]

- And what am I going to wear?!
- Oh, T, don't worry about that now.

All you have to do...

... is breathe.

Assess the situation.

Assess the crowd.

Look 'em in the eye.

Gather that strength.

And when you do...

... smile.

Yeah.

Smile sweetly, always, and let...

... it all blow.

You know?

What happened this morning?

- When?
- I was in the shower

- and you fell off the face of the Earth.
- Yeah.

Yeah, I had an appointment, I forgot.

Oh...

- You don't like it.
- I do. It's art.

- Cool.
- Why didn't you... tell me?

- I forgot I had the appointment.
- No.

- I didn't want to be late.
- No.

Erm... About, er, what you told Susy.

Susy's black, first of all!

- She's like...
- What?

Susy's black. That's like, wow!

Big boss is black.

- Yeah, she's cool.
- She's not just cool, she's Obama.

Great about having your draft
read, she clearly believes in you.

It's mad! I ain't
even near finishing it.

Why didn't you tell me about that?

Well, you knew I hadn't finished.

You were supposed to be helping me!

- Remember?
- No. No. About...

What?

Oh, my raper?

I don't know. I guess...

I thought if we both knew you
were a rapist, it might change us.

What?

- What?
- What did you say?

I thought if we both knew about
the rapist, it may change us.

Yeah. I can't tell you how
helpful what we do is.

- Really? Yeah.
- Yeah, my therapist said

it's really important to do
things like painting, yoga,

cuddling with people I trust.

- Self-care.
- It hurts to know that you...

- I'm sorry.
- You've been really helpful. Thank you.

- May I help you?
- Er...

Yeah, I wanted to report something.

I need to report a crime.

Okay, yeah. Just a moment,
I'll get somebody to...

- They're going to listen to your book, huh?
- Yeah. Yeah.

Well, not now, but later.
Yeah, it's all a bit...

... fancy in there. There's, er,
waiters all walking around

- with little bits and all that.
- Mm-hmm.

Really make sure you
don't take too much wine.

Yeah, I'm not reading,

- Terry's reading.
- Oh. Okay.

But still, be careful.

Er...

I have to tell you something.

Er, I went out one time and a stranger

put something in my drink.

- In your drink?
- Um, yeah, like a drug, to make me sleepy.

Bella! You've got to watch

- your drink in the club!
- Excuse me?

You've got to watch your
drink, you can get hurt.

I'm going to call you later.

- Did you tell him?
- I told him some.

- Some?
- Yeah, like, 30%.

What did you tell him?

Er, I told him I was spiked.

Does he know... you were raped?

- No.
- Does he know that he has to give his DNA?

- No.
- Okay.

So, yes, that is, like, 30%.

- Hello.
- Hi.

How you doing?

Petrified?

Oh, I don't know what
the fuck's going on with me!

[THEY LAUGH]

You must be Terry Pratchard.

- Ah!
- I'm Sion.

- Nice to meet you.
- Ooh.

- I'm Susy's assistant.
- Hi!

May I ask, are there going
to be many more people here?

- Yeah, quite a few.
- Ooh, good!

Cos I likes me an audience.

Yeah! I'll be back.

Oh.

Would you like a drink?

- Bella?
- Mm.

Have you checked the weather?

Because it's glow season.

[GLASSES CHINK]

[DOOR OPENS]

Got my notes, so, erm...

- This was about three weeks ago, yeah?
- Yeah.

- [HE TAKES A DEEP BREATH]
- Okay.

- What was the name of the... suspect?
- Er, I don't know.

Oh, you don't know?

Er, we met on Grindr.

So, I have his address.

- What was his name on that?
- Er, no-one uses their real name.

You put in a username and you
can change that when you want.

- So, what was the fake name?
- Er, I think he's changed it,

and he's blocked me anyway, so...

But I have his address.

See, because I've got to put a name,
so what was the name he used?

You never know, someone else
might have reported the same name,

- so...
- Erm, Horny Man 808.

Horny Man... 808.

- Erm, I... I have his address.
- So, when you went to his address,

you didn't say, "Hello, my name is... "?

Nothing?

No. When you're listed
as "discreet", you don't...

- ... you don't really do that.
- Listed as "discreet", what's that?

Er, discreet, secretive,

private.

And the list is the thing that you
scroll through with your finger.

Yeah! I know how to use a phone! Ha-ha!

I mean, so, what shall we call him?

How would you describe him?

He's got to have a description.
We can't name him black

because, I mean, all these
guys here are black, so...

I'm not sure what you want me to say.

No, it's probably a case
for Special Unit.

So, I'm going to speak to a senior
officer and get him to, erm...

Just to clarify, did they,
erm, penetrate you, or...?

Because there's a big difference between

- sexual assault and rape...
- Yeah, yeah, I imagine.

... so I'd have to clarify.

Well, my trousers came
very low at one point so, er,

so he might have penetrated me,

without putting it all the way in.

I'd have to check what that feels like.

How... How would you do that?

Erm, I'd put my finger in my anus.

All right.

You know, there are other ways
you could have reported this.

We've got machines out there

- to make it easier for people...
- [KWAME SCOFFS]

... to report this kind of
thing, without having to...

So, I'm going to... Do you
want anything, water or...?

- Er, nothing.
- No?

Susy, hi...

[MUSIC AND CHATTER]

- Are you two dating?
- Hmm?

Oh, no, no.

I just wondered if there was a subtext.

Subtext? Yeah. Yeah, I guess.

I... I thought

- you two might have a subtext.
- Er...

- Good guy, though.
- Oh, yeah, yeah.

It's impossible to protect
yourself from his nature.

- I know quite a few women who just...
- Couldn't?

Good luck. I'll be rooting for you.

Will there be many more people here?

Cos I'm already feeling a bit like, rah!

Is stage fright a real thing?
Cos it's all a bit mad right now.

No, it's not a real thing, is it?
No, no, no, it's not.

- May I have your attention...?
- Cool, cool.

- Please start making your way to the main hall...
- What?

[DOOR OPENS]

Are you all right?

- Yeah, I'm...
- Just checking.

And when we read habitually,

we learn to see between the lines.

We learn to search for the
innermost layer of the story.

Its symbols, its intentional
parallels, its true meaning.

- We learn about character...
- [ZAIN CHUCKLES]

... and, therefore, of humans.
As language evolves

and communication develops,

it improves and corrupts.

The writer is left in a position
of great responsibility,

to ensure there is
intention in every word.

If they can manage it!

[LAUGHTER]

Ha-ha! I thought you'd like that one.

This is my favourite part of the summit,

where our readers get to hear

- work in progress...
- That guy's trash for that, fam.

He didn't even tell me
he was fucking again.

[TERRY TAKES DEEP BREATHS]

- ... who writes powerfully on life...
- Bella?

If I had stage fright,
do you think it'd hit now,

- or when I step on the stage itself?
- [APPLAUSE]

... Zain Tareen, winner of
the Berkeley first book award

in 2017.

[APPLAUSE]

I wouldn't have that dick raw,
if it came on a sushi platter.

Fucking prick! Yeah,
I'm nervous as fuck!

[SHE TRILLS]

... and also,

a little snippet of
a work in progress...

- Belles?
- ... from Arabella Essiuedu...

- Bella, I can't go on that stage.
- Huh? What?

- I can't... I can't do it.
- ... will be read by

emerging black British actress

- Terry Pratchard.
- I can't do it, Belles.

- What?
- Go on that stage.

[APPLAUSE]

Er, I'd first like to say thanks...

... to my agents, to Susy
Henny and Henny House.

I'm very happy to be
there with you guys,

among very talented writers.

[GENTLE COUGHING IN AUDIENCE]

Zain Tareen is a rapist.

[MUTTERING]

He took a condom off

in the middle of having sex with me.

He placated my shock and gaslighted me

with such intention that I didn't
have a second to understand

the heinous crime that had occurred.

I believe he is a predator.

One woman has come forward

and informed me of the same
experience, so I'm not the first.

If I don't take this opportunity
to say this now,

I certainly won't be
the last. He is a rapist.

Not "rape-adjacent", or "a
bit rapey", he's a rapist,

under UK law.

If you were in the States,
he's "rape-adjacent".

In Australia, he's "a bit rapey".

Oh, no, you don't!

Nah, you're going to feel it.

You're going to feel it!

Sorry about the wait. Erm, so,

I've spoken to a senior officer

and, erm, there's no point
in us doing a DNA sample.

You just had, erm,
consensual sex with him,

so it wouldn't really prove
anything other than that.

But what's going to happen is,

we're going to get the
Special Unit to give you a call...

Er, am I...?

- Am I free to go?
- Well, I can't keep you here,

but if you want to go, you can...

Just one second. I'm just going to...

- Oh, no, it's fine. I...
- No, no, no, I've got to...

I've got to get someone to show you out.

To understand the heinous
crime that had occurred...

Insane.

- You've literally broken the internet.
- I am dead, Bella!

- Crazy!
- I am a GIF, Bella.

- I'm a GIF! Ha-ha!
- Yeah, Terry, I saw it.

- I died!
- Twitter is going to kill me tonight!

They've made a meme of him running away.

Where's that? I haven't seen that.

- I've just DM'd it.
- Sion, I just saw it.

- I'm dead!
- Ah, you lit it the fuck up!

A journalist has just
posted an article about it.

Where did you find that article?

I must have been looking
for something and it came up.

[MESSAGE ALERT]

[MUSIC: OUT OF SIGHT
(YHYH) BY LITTLE SIMZ]

I care! I care about you, okay?

But you can't walk around
taking drinks from strangers!

You didn't have a problem
when I took a drink from you,

and you're a drug dealer.

- You're fucking up my life!
- So, what,

don't accept drinks from anybody
apart from drug dealers?

- That's smart.
- What are you talking about?

- What are you talking about?!
- You're the one that said

- I was fucking up your life!
- Yes, Bella.

I have to go to the station
and do this shit!

- I've already told you, I'm sorry.
- I can't deal with this shit!

Yeah, well, how the fuck
do you think I feel, with you

telling me I've done something wrong?

Telling me there's something
wrong with me? Telling...

- Bella.
- What?!

- If you watched your drink...
- If I... what?

If you watched your drink,
you wouldn't have been raped!

I don't want to talk to you again.

[SHE SOBS]

[MUSIC: PYNK BY JANELLE MONAE]

♪ Pink like the inside of your... baby ♪

♪ Pink behind all of the doors, crazy ♪

♪ Pink like the tongue
that goes down, maybe ♪

♪ Pink like the paradise found ♪

♪ Pink when you're
blushing inside, baby ♪

♪ Pink is the truth
you can't hide, maybe ♪

♪ Pink like the folds
of your brain, crazy ♪

♪ Pink as we all go insane ♪

♪ So, here we are in the car ♪

♪ Leaving traces of us ♪

♪ Down the boulevard ♪

♪ I wanna fall through the stars ♪

♪ Getting lost in the dark
is my favourite part ♪

♪ Let's count the ways we
could make this last forever ♪

♪ Sunny, money, keep it funky ♪

♪ Touch your top and let it down ♪

♪ Ah, yeah ♪

♪ Some like that... ♪

♪ Ah, ah ♪

♪ Some like that... ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Some like that cos, boy,
it's cool if you got blue ♪

♪ We got the pink. ♪